Binnenhaven bij een dorp 1890 - 1946

This pen drawing of a village harbor was made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh. I love the idea of a drawing being a kind of thinking out loud. See how the lines are laid down so simply, almost tentative? It's as if Vreedenburgh is feeling his way around the scene, not trying to capture it perfectly, but just to get a sense of the place. Look at the way he suggests the reflections in the water with these quick, almost scribbled lines. There's a real sense of immediacy, as if he's trying to capture a fleeting moment. There's a wonderful lightness of touch here. The image feels both complete and unfinished, a sketch of a place but also a sketch of an idea. It reminds me a little of some of Boudin's quick drawings of the French coast, capturing the same sense of a world in motion. Art is a conversation across time, after all.