Gebouw met twee torens 1890 - 1946

Curator: Standing before us is Cornelis Vreedenburgh's drawing, "Gebouw met twee torens," or "Building with Two Towers," created sometime between 1890 and 1946. It is currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: You know, it feels like a half-remembered dream. Those skeletal rooftops against the dominant, stoic tower… it has a kind of haunted, melancholic vibe. Like the city is whispering secrets only the paper can hold. Curator: The themes of urban development and architectural power are central to Vreedenburgh’s work. We can explore the symbolic meanings inherent in architectural forms and their relationship to power structures and historical narratives within Dutch society. Editor: Absolutely. But the roughness, that pencil's scratch, that immediacy...it keeps the power trip in check, doesn't it? Like, here's this monumental presence, but rendered with such intimate fragility. It's like meeting a king in his pajamas. Curator: I find it interesting that the dating of this piece is somewhat ambiguous. Considering the period, one might consider this work within the context of urban planning and societal changes occurring at that time in the Netherlands. How do such buildings function ideologically? Editor: The buildings seem like they're trying to reach up and grab something out of the sky! Listen, you see the rooftop on the left with the hatched lines, almost aggressively dense. That says to me that even humble, everyday dwellings, were made from something equally heavy. Curator: It's essential to think about who had access to representations like this—a glimpse into the socio-economic realities of the era and the artist's positionality in capturing this scene. What was his motivation for sketching this particular view? Editor: Maybe it's pure fascination? The human need to just stop and translate something beautiful that's looming above you, the way it interacts with shadow... the simple joy of trying to capture the feeling. But you’re right; it could be way more loaded than that! Curator: Reflecting on it all, this drawing is not simply a depiction, but a layered historical document. Editor: Yeah, a document penned in shadow and light... And just a really beautiful little piece of haunted architecture, I reckon.