Notities 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketchbook page called "Notities," a flurry of graphite and ink, sometime around 1913. It’s not just a landscape sketch, is it? More like a landscape of the mind. I see Vreedenburgh, maybe standing outside, trying to capture not just what’s in front of him, but something more elusive— a feeling. The rapid, almost scribbled lines suggest urgency, like he’s racing against time or a fading memory. Is he trying to record a specific place, or is he just trying to pin down an idea, a mood? The way he’s layered drawing with notes reminds me of Cy Twombly, who scrawled words across his canvases. Artists are always picking up where others leave off, aren't they? We are trying to translate inner thoughts, and emotions into something tangible. Vreedenburgh's notations invite us to join the conversation, and fill in the gaps with our own interpretations.