Stadsgezicht in Brussel 1953

This is Nico Molenkamp’s ‘Stadsgezicht in Brussel’, likely made with watercolour and gouache. It's as though the artist was trying to capture a fleeting moment, the kind you only half-see. I imagine Molenkamp standing there, brush in hand, trying to keep up with the changing light, mixing the grayest greens and ochres with the muted blues of the city. Look at the texture! See how the paint is applied in these delicate layers. The brushstrokes dance across the surface, suggesting the movement of leaves, the outlines of buildings, and the barest hint of a skyline. This work reminds me a little of Corot. You can almost feel the dampness in the air, the chill of a northern European day. Molenkamp is an artist who has looked closely at other painters and understood the ongoing conversations about the process of seeing. He reminds us that a painting can be both a window onto the world, and a mirror reflecting our inner experience.