Dorp Noordwijk aan Zee 1783

Editor: So, here we have Hendrik Tavenier's "Dorp Noordwijk aan Zee," created in 1783, a pen drawing on paper depicting a street view in Noordwijk. The subtle greyscale lends it a certain quietude. I'm immediately struck by its almost architectural precision; the buildings seem to define the character of the place. What captures your attention in this drawing? Curator: It's more than architectural precision, isn’t it? It feels like stepping back in time, doesn’t it? What Tavenier manages so cleverly, is capturing a moment, a gentle slice of daily life in this Noordwijk aan Zee, the human figures so perfectly and sparingly placed that, if they were gone, the soul of the whole place would be changed. Do you not think there’s a kind of performance of light? See how it shapes each form so serenely, a silent dance along the facade of everyday existences. Almost photographic in its capture, yet drawn. And a landscape as seen from the sea; do you get that feeling? Editor: Yes, I see what you mean. It does feel as if Tavenier has frozen a fleeting instant. And the light is certainly a player, softly illuminating the scene. So it’s like the drama of ordinary people meets the steady presence of home. And the way he uses shadow makes those whitewashed buildings gleam, doesn't it? I’d assumed the drawing style just a kind of dry realism, but it’s far more nuanced and full of life now you mention it. How different all our worlds can be, depending on how the light chooses to colour them. Curator: Exactly, exactly. In that light play, don't you think there is the deeper theme here of people and where we live? What it does to us, and what we do to it. A good question is where each building stands in that relationship; you may want to think what you bring to that thought as you wander around this Gallery… Editor: Absolutely, and seeing the relationships he mapped so clearly, makes you think again. Thank you for opening up so many insights in this beautiful and contemplative cityscape.