Zittende man naast een boom aan het water

About this artwork

hoogte 251 mm x breedte 176 mm

Art Historical Context

This intimate drawing by David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin depicts a solitary figure seated beside a tree at the water’s edge. Rendered on paper measuring just 251 by 176 millimeters, the small scale encourages close viewing and suggests a personal or exploratory work rather than a large finished painting. The simple composition emphasizes quiet observation of nature, a theme that gained popularity in European art during the late eighteenth century. Active between 1750 and 1809, de Sandoz-Rollin worked at a time when artists increasingly turned to landscape and everyday scenes to explore human emotion and the changing relationship with the natural world. Works on paper like this one often served as studies or travel sketches, allowing artists to capture fleeting moments with fluid lines and delicate shading. The Dutch title, “Zittende man naast een boom aan het water,” hints at the contemplative mood the artist sought to convey. Today the drawing offers modern viewers a glimpse into eighteenth-century sensibilities, where even modest formats could express deeper reflections on solitude and the environment.

About the Artist

David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin · 1740–1809

Baron David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin (1740–1809) was a Swiss draughtsman and painter who combined artistic pursuits with diplomatic service, spending significant portions of his life in Paris while serving as secretary to the Prussian ambassador. Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1740, Sandoz-Rollin pursued the dual career of diplomat and artist that was not uncommon among educated European elit...