Aangemeerde boot aan een kade bij een brug 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this lively sketch of a boat docked by a bridge with pencil on paper, and it's all about the energy of the line. Look how he uses quick, broken strokes to capture the scene. The marks are direct and immediate, like he’s trying to grab the fleeting moment before it disappears. The pencil work is all about transparency, letting the white of the paper breathe through, creating a sense of light and air. See how the lines build up to suggest the boat's structure and the bridge beyond, not fussing too much with details, but more concerned with the overall impression. There’s a lovely, sketchy passage toward the bottom, where the hull of the boat meets the water. The parallel lines, light and tentative, suggest the gentle rocking, the slight movement that animates the whole scene. This drawing reminds me a little of some of the quick sketches done by Van Gogh, where the sheer act of drawing becomes a way of understanding and feeling the world. It’s a reminder that art isn't always about perfection, but about process, exploration, and the joy of seeing.