Rij huizen 1890 - 1946

Curator: Welcome! Today, we are looking at Cornelis Vreedenburgh’s sketch titled "Rij huizen," created sometime between 1890 and 1946. It’s currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, it’s a simple drawing, right? It almost looks accidental—a momentary doodle plucked straight from an architect’s brain during a daydream. Kind of melancholic, in its sparseness. Curator: It is definitely understated. The artist's method utilizes ink and pen in simple strokes across the paper, forming lines and shadows. It's labeled as "idea generation sketch", suggesting that it represents initial architectural concepts. Editor: So it is supposed to show…houses? It's so stripped down! I mean, you've got these wobbly, kind-of-there boxes indicating space, I suppose? The skeletal feel leaves so much to my imagination – and creates some haunting mood, really. I am really captured by those undefined lines… they evoke so many different images! Curator: Precisely. The incompleteness of the sketch invites subjective projection. What architectural semiotics or aesthetic features capture you the most? Are there certain patterns or irregularities you note? Editor: Well, look! The composition feels as if you might turn a corner and all of a sudden the neighborhood as he knew it then disappears. You see, it’s more a psychological landscape than just simply recording brick and mortar. It feels like walking around a real memory, faded now with time. Curator: Interesting… This piece has also been tagged as ‘sketchbook drawing’ implying the work's initial intimate and experimental purpose. A pen-ink sketch would fall under this preliminary stage as well. These houses are not built yet. It exists purely on paper to let inspiration bloom for the final composition. Editor: Mmm. True… And yet these raw marks contain enough creative life! It stands to me like proof that sometimes perfection isn't really all that perfect! This glimpse into someone else's mind seems way more lively in progress rather than finished form because our minds can paint even grander versions for completion anyway. Curator: An eloquently considered and fitting thought indeed; a wonderful insight to leave on! I hope it gave you ideas and sparked interest and curiosity in viewing art from different points of view! Thank you for your time.