Torenspits tussen de bomen 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of a 'Torenspits tussen de bomen' - A Spire Between Trees, with graphite on paper. I love how the drawing exists within a clearly defined rectangle, like a stage set for a memory. The composition is created from loose marks, a flurry of graphite that somehow resolves itself into the recognisable form of a tower. Look closely, and you can see how the artist has built up the image from a series of scribbled lines, almost like he's searching for the right shape. The spire is not a solid, static form, but something more ephemeral, caught in a moment of change. In particular, I enjoy the different marks used to describe the foliage of the trees, a mixture of straight and curved lines. There's a real push-pull between representation and abstraction happening. It reminds me of some of the early sketches of Kandinsky, where the world dissolves into pure form, but always with a lingering trace of something real. Ultimately, it is an image full of ambiguity, suggestive rather than definitive.