Zeilschip aan een kade 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of a sailing ship on a dock with pencil on paper. It’s all about the light touch of the pencil, the way the lines are tentative, searching. It’s like he’s thinking through the image as he draws it. Look at the shading on the right side of the boat: Vreedenburgh has layered the pencil marks, building up the tone slowly. You can almost feel the graphite rubbing against the paper, each stroke adding to the sense of depth and form. It's not about perfection, but about the act of seeing and translating that vision onto the page. There's a real similarity between Vreedenburgh's quick studies and the drawings of someone like James Whistler, who also sought to capture a fleeting impression, a moment in time. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, artists building on the ideas and techniques of those who came before, each adding their unique voice to the mix.