Gezicht op Rotterdam vanaf het water 1910

Simon Moulijn made this drawing of Rotterdam from the water sometime in the early 20th century, using pencil and chalk. What grabs me is the way he’s built up the atmosphere with these tiny, scribbly marks, like the air itself is shimmering. It reminds me that making art is about adding layer upon layer, each one building on the last. Up close, you can see how the pencil strokes create the texture of the water, each ripple carefully considered. Then there's the smoke, soft clouds of chalk which rise above the buildings. I love how he contrasts the solidity of the architecture with the ephemeral quality of the smoke. It’s so interesting to consider how those marks come together to form a cohesive image, like a puzzle. This piece reminds me a little of James McNeill Whistler's drawings, in the way he uses delicate marks to suggest mood and atmosphere. It’s like they're both tuned into the same frequency, thinking about art as a conversation that unfolds over time.