Paardenkoets langs een stoep c. 1908 - 1923

Ferdinand Oldewelt made this drawing of a horse-drawn carriage next to a sidewalk with graphite on paper. Looking at the image, I can see the artist has worked hard at capturing the angle of the carriage, re-drawing the wheels and bodywork. I imagine Oldewelt standing on the street corner, quickly sketching to capture the scene before it moves on. I love how the sketch isn't trying to be perfect. You get a sense that it is about trying to grasp the essence of the thing. And it’s not just the carriage itself but also its relationship to the space around it, the sidewalk, the lamp post, even the suggestion of a tree. For me, the best drawings are like an unedited thought. The artist isn’t trying to be too polished. They are just exploring an idea, letting it wander a bit. And then they leave it for us to contemplate. That's a generous act. Because it lets us wander too, and the drawing becomes a site of imaginative exchange.