Stoomboot naast een zeilschip 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketch of a steamboat next to a sailing ship using pencil on paper. The tentative strokes, like whispers on the page, hint at the artist’s process, where seeing becomes a dance of hand and eye. The texture of the paper peeks through, grounding the scene in a tangible reality. Look at the mast, it’s rendered with such an economy of line. It reminds us that drawing is not just about replicating what’s out there but capturing a feeling, a moment. The way the lines trail off suggests there is so much more beyond the frame. Vreedenburgh’s sketch echoes the spirit of artists like James McNeill Whistler, who similarly sought to evoke atmosphere with minimal means, understanding that a sketch is like a jazz riff on reality. Ultimately, it’s a conversation about seeing, feeling, and the joy of mark-making.