Gevels van gebouwen 1890 - 1946

Editor: This is “Facades of Buildings,” by Cornelis Vreedenburgh, created sometime between 1890 and 1946. It's a drawing, using pencil and etching techniques. I’m struck by how simple and fleeting it feels, like a quick sketch capturing a memory. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Its strength lies precisely in that 'fleeting' quality. Observe how Vreedenburgh employs line – thin, gestural, almost hesitant – to delineate form. Note the dominance of horizontal lines to convey buildings with vertical strokes to mark windows or walls, with the intention not to represent reality photographically, but to present the essential structure. Editor: So, it's less about replicating reality and more about... dissecting it? Curator: Precisely. Consider the composition, too. There’s a lack of traditional perspective; the buildings seem to hover. What does this flatness achieve? How does it alter our perception? Editor: It almost feels like a diagram, breaking down the facades into their most basic shapes. It takes away depth, which makes it very... abstract in a way. Almost a non-place since we can't place it. Curator: Exactly! While the subject matter might be read as Realist because it renders ordinary things, the effect is to flatten it into a visual architecture of abstract ideas and forms. Editor: I never thought about realism like that! This artwork makes me see how even realistic images can be about so much more than just what they depict. Curator: Indeed. By examining the formal elements – line, composition, the very absence of color – we unveil Vreedenburgh’s visual inquiry into architectural space and form.