Zeilschip 1890 - 1946

This is Cornelis Vreedenburgh’s sketch of a Zeilschip, made in graphite on paper. What strikes me most is the artist's hand, so present in the build-up of marks that make up the image. The ship itself emerges from a kind of graphite fog. See how the masts are suggested with these very definite strokes, and then fade out like mist? The artist has worked and reworked the lines, allowing the image to grow organically on the page. There's a real sense of something being discovered here, not just represented. Look at the base of the mast, how Vreedenburgh has used these hatching lines to suggest a mass, but also to almost dissolve its presence. It reminds me of Twombly’s drawings, where the subject is less about what is depicted, and more about the pure joy of mark-making. It’s as if the ship is just an excuse for all this wonderful, playful activity. Like all good art, the more you look, the more you see.