Paardenkoets langs een stoep c. 1908 - 1923

Ferdinand Oldewelt made this sketch, “Paardenkoets langs een stoep,” with what looks like a graphite pencil, mapping out the bare bones of a horse-drawn carriage. I love sketches like this, they remind me that art making is a process, not a perfect end result. The lines are so light, almost like whispers on the page. You can see the artist feeling their way around the forms, searching for the right curve of a wheel or the angle of the carriage roof. It feels so provisional, like a thought in progress. I love the way Oldewelt suggests the wheels with just a few strokes, focusing on the overall shape rather than getting bogged down in details. This reminds me of Philip Guston, especially his later, more cartoonish works, where he embraced a similar kind of looseness and spontaneity. It’s a good reminder that art is a conversation, and each artist builds on what came before. Ultimately, art is about exploration, not perfection, and there’s always room for multiple interpretations.