Straat langs een kromme gracht 1890 - 1946

Here we have ‘Straat langs een kromme gracht,’ a pencil drawing by Cornelis Vreedenburgh. It’s all about the line here, right? The marks are searching, almost scribbled, but they define the architectural forms with an incredible sense of precision. Look how he uses hatching to create depth, the way he layers lines to suggest shadows and textures. It’s all so delicate, yet so assured. You get the feeling he really sees what he’s drawing. I love how the texture of the paper peeks through, reminding us that this is, after all, just a drawing. And, in a way, it’s like the city itself—a collection of fragments, of memories, of moments in time that come together to create a whole. Think of Piranesi with his fantasy architectural drawings, this piece captures that sense of endless space. It’s not about perfection, it’s about the process, the journey, the joy of seeing.