
Read the visual description
The image shows a rustic watermill depicted with delicate ink lines and light washes of color. The architecture is the main focus, with sloping rooflines leading upward towards the top right of the image. A slightly elevated perspective provides a view inside the mill's structure. Soft browns, beiges, and hints of blue create a subdued color palette. The brushstrokes have a sketch-like quality, detailing the stone walls and wooden beams. Faint outlines of trees in the distance add depth to the drawing. Overall, the image depicts a detailed portrayal of the historical mill structure.
National Gallery of Art · Drawing
An Old Water Mill
Cornelis Willaerts
- Medium
- pen and brown and black ink with gray and brown wash and blue and green chalk over graphite on laid paper
- Dimensions
- overall: 30.4 x 38.3 cm (11 15/16 x 15 1/16 in.)
- Classification
- Drawing
- Accession number
- 1985.1.68
- Credit line
- Julius S. Held Collection
- Time span
- 1601 to 1650
- Department
- CG-E
Subjects and terms
- Dutch
- Rustic
- exterior
- architecture
Provenance
Z between 2 5-pointed stars. Julius S. Held [1905-2002] by 1970; gift 1985 to NGA.
Inscription
unknown hand lower right verso in brown ink: Cor: Willarts; later hand lower right verso in graphite: Cornelis Adamsz. Willaerts / Sohn des Adam W. 1622 Meister Utrecht / + vo r 1675
Watermarks
Circles below chalice
NGA object ID 65787. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.