Straathoek met een brug over een gracht 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this graphite drawing, ‘Straathoek met een brug over een gracht’ – or, ‘Street corner with a bridge over a canal’ – directly into a sketchbook. I love the way it captures a sense of place and immediacy. You can almost imagine Vreedenburgh standing there, quickly sketching the scene before him. The pencil lines are so light and delicate, yet they manage to convey the essence of the buildings and the canal. I wonder what he was thinking as he drew this? Was he trying to capture a particular moment, or was he simply enjoying the act of observing and recording? There’s a raw honesty in his work that reminds me of other quick studies, like Rembrandt's or Daumier's sketches – an artist thinking through their hand, searching for the right marks to capture a feeling or idea. It’s like he's inviting us to join him in his contemplation.