Het Singel, gezien van het Koningsplein naar de Munttoren 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh sketched ‘Het Singel, gezien van het Koningsplein naar de Munttoren’ in pencil on paper. Vreedenburgh lived through both World Wars in the Netherlands, and while he is mainly known for his cityscapes, one wonders if the sparse use of line and muted tones in this sketch reflect a broader sense of austerity or the emotional landscape of a society grappling with conflict and recovery. As we consider Vreedenburgh's artistic choices, we might also reflect on how the representation of urban spaces intersects with social identity. Whose stories are told through these cityscapes, and whose are left out? What does it mean to capture a city in a moment of time? The sketch invites us to reflect on the relationship between personal experience and broader historical narratives. How do artists like Vreedenburgh shape our understanding of the past, and how do their works resonate with our own experiences of the present?