Portret van een man met een baard 1890 - 1946

This sketch of a bearded man was made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh with graphite on paper. It looks like Vreedenburgh was interested in the raw process of looking and mark-making. I’m struck by the immediacy of the sketch. The texture is very much about the graphite itself. See how the side of the lead is used to create the darker areas, especially in the beard, where it almost looks like the man has a shadow growing out of his face! The marks seem very intuitive and not overly labored; it's like watching the artist think. It reminds me that art-making is a process of exploration, a conversation between the artist and the subject. Vreedenburgh's sketch is similar to work of Van Gogh. Like Van Gogh, he finds a way to represent a very strong character with only a few lines. This piece reminds us that art isn't about perfection. It's about seeing and feeling.