Zeegezicht 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing with pencil, probably in a sketchbook, at an unknown date. What strikes me here is the contrast in mark making. On the right the lines are hatched, regular, and the tone is comparatively dark, whereas on the left the lines are more scribbled, gestural, and pale. I feel like I can really see the artist at work, building up the image layer by layer. The materiality of the paper is crucial here, it really absorbs the graphite of the pencil. If you look closely at the cluster of marks on the lower left you see how the artist is trying to find a form, rubbing out and redrawing. This feels very close to my own process of painting, where an image emerges through successive attempts, revisions, and alterations. There’s a related feeling to some of Philip Guston’s looser, more figurative works. It's as if Vreedenburgh is saying, "I'm not sure what this is yet, but I'm going to find it."