Schreierstoren, gezien van de Gelderskade 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of Schreierstoren from Gelderskade, with graphite on paper. Just look at the patient process of this drawing! It’s easy to imagine Vreedenburgh perched on the Gelderskade, squinting in the sunlight, translating the complex world before him into a language of line. There’s a real tenderness in the way the artist coaxes out the textures of the trees and masonry. I can see the hand moving slowly, deliberately, allowing the image to emerge, bit by bit. I wonder if he struggled with the reflections in the water? Sometimes, when I'm painting water, I feel like I'm chasing my own tail, trying to capture something that's always shifting and changing. But maybe that's the point, right? To embrace the flux. What I love about a drawing like this is that it slows me down. It invites me to really look, to see the world with fresh eyes. And that, to me, is what art is all about.