Dorp op een heuvel aan zee c. 1936

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketch of a village on a hill by the sea, using graphite on paper. You know, it's interesting how a simple line can conjure an entire world. There’s a lightness to the touch here, a delicacy that invites us into Vreedenburgh’s way of seeing. The lines are quick, economical, like he’s trying to catch a fleeting impression. See how the vertical strokes suggest the buildings, and the horizontal ones hint at the sea? It's all suggestion, leaving space for our imagination to fill in the details. That one darker mark near the top – is it a tree? A church spire? It anchors the composition, giving weight to the ephemeral quality of the drawing. It reminds me a little of some of Boudin’s sketches, with their similar interest in the poetics of place. Ultimately, it shows us that art is an invitation, a conversation between the artist and the viewer.