Portret van een vrouw met een hoed 1890 - 1946

Here is a quick sketch by Cornelis Vreedenburgh of a woman wearing a hat, probably made in charcoal or pencil. You know, I love the immediacy of sketches, the feeling that you’re catching someone in a fleeting moment. There’s a real intimacy in the way Vreedenburgh captures the woman’s downward gaze. I imagine he noticed her sitting in a cafe, maybe, and just had to get her down on paper. The marks are so economical but so expressive, like the shading on the hat or the quick, scribbled lines that form her curls. It’s not about perfection, it’s about capturing a feeling, an essence. And that’s what connects me to the work. It reminds me that art is about seeing, feeling, and responding. It’s like he is saying, “Hey, look at this person, isn’t she interesting?” And yeah, she really is!