Kerk bij een brug over een gracht 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of a church by a bridge over a canal with graphite on paper. You know, I like to imagine Cornelis there on the spot, squinting, trying to nail the perspective, working out what to include and what to leave out. You can almost feel the air in this sketch, and hear the sounds of the city. The drawing is not about perfection. It is about capturing something fleeting and real. I love how the lines vary in weight and direction, from the darkest hatching, suggesting the shadows on the church, to the lightest whisper of a line, like gossamer. The artist is figuring out how to give form to the scene before him. Each line is an experiment, a way of seeing and feeling. It reminds me a little of the drawings of Pieter Saenredam, but with a looser, more modern touch. It’s all part of this ongoing conversation between artists through time.