Gezicht op Zwolle 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh drew this view of Zwolle with graphite on paper. I imagine Vreedenburgh sitting on the bank across from the city, quickly trying to get it all down, squinting to see all the forms, not wanting to leave anything out. Look at the density of the lines, like a woven tapestry, and how the tone gets darker as the buildings rise up. The light is really doing its thing here, washing out the paper on one side, while on the other, everything is built of shadow. You can see how the artist keeps adjusting and correcting the forms with the graphite. There is a sense of urgency and yet, at the same time, such sensitivity to place. This feels like a conversation with other artists, like the ones in the Ashcan school, all riffing on the same themes, seeing what new things can be said. This drawing reminds us that artists are constantly talking to each other across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new and unexpected ways.