Portret van een lachende man met bril 1890 - 1946

This is a drawing by Cornelis Vreedenburgh, called ‘Portret van een lachende man met bril’, and it looks like it was made with pen on paper. The artist has captured a fleeting expression, a moment of joy, with such simple, direct lines. The subject's face seems lit from within, you know? I bet Vreedenburgh really observed him, noticing the crinkles around his eyes and the way his mouth turns up at the corners. It’s like he’s saying, "Here is this guy and his laugh”. I wonder, was this man a friend, a stranger, or just someone Vreedenburgh saw on the street? Maybe it's a bit of all three, because that one simple stroke that shows his smile makes me feel like I know him, too.