Aangemeerde boten aan een kade 1890 - 1946

This is a pencil sketch of moored boats on a quay, made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh. You can see how the artist works with a limited palette, focusing on the tonal values that a pencil can offer. It’s amazing how much information is communicated with so little! There's something deeply satisfying about the simplicity of the materials here, just pencil on paper. The texture comes entirely from the pressure and direction of the artist's hand. Look at the way he layers the marks to create depth and shadow, especially around the boats and buildings. The hatching is so dense in places that it almost feels sculptural. You can practically feel the weight of the structures. Then notice the open, airy quality of the sky and water, achieved with the barest of lines. It reminds me a little of the drawings of Mondrian, before he went totally abstract. Both artists found ways to evoke space and form with incredible economy, suggesting that a work is as much about what you leave out as what you put in.