Alley in Antwerp 

Editor: This drawing, "Alley in Antwerp" by Rudolf Hirth du Frênes, captures a little slice of city life with just pencil on paper. The narrow street and the figures give it a really intimate feel. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: Intimate is the perfect word! It's like stumbling upon a memory. What I find fascinating is how he uses the pencil to create a sense of depth – the way the buildings recede, one gable roof behind another. It makes me wonder what it was like to just stand there, sketching. Were there particular smells in the air? A specific quality to the light? Editor: It definitely pulls you in. The lines are so delicate, almost like he's whispering the scene to us. I'm curious about why he chose this specific view. Was it a well-known spot? Curator: Perhaps, but I suspect it's more personal than that. Look at the figures – they're not posed, they're simply *there*, caught in the everyday flow of things. He's not trying to paint a grand, sweeping vista, but rather capturing the quiet poetry of the ordinary. Have you ever found yourself drawn to sketch something similar in your everyday wanderings? Editor: Totally! It's like wanting to hold onto a specific moment, to bottle it up and keep it with you. Curator: Precisely. And isn't it wonderful how a simple pencil sketch can evoke such a strong sense of place and time, a tangible connection to someone's experience? Editor: Absolutely. I see so much more in this now. It’s not just a street, it’s a moment, a memory.