Gezicht in profiel naar links 1890 - 1946

This is Cornelis Vreedenburgh's drawing "Gezicht in profiel naar links," housed at the Rijksmuseum. Executed with spare lines on paper, the work captures a face in profile, gazing left. Observe how Vreedenburgh employs economy of line to suggest form. The near absence of shading or color places pure line at the forefront. It’s less about mimesis and more about a distillation of form to its bare essentials. We can read this through the lens of structuralism, considering that the face's identity is almost secondary to its architectural rendering. The lines don't seek to replicate a specific person but create a framework. This evokes the broader structures of representation and perception. The drawing prompts us to reflect on how minimal marks can trigger recognition and meaning, highlighting the dialogue between artist, artwork, and viewer.