Studies 1890 - 1946

Editor: Here we have Cornelis Vreedenburgh's "Studies," dating from around 1890 to 1946. It's a pencil drawing on paper. The ephemeral nature of the light pencil work gives it an interesting, almost dreamlike quality. What strikes you about it? Curator: Well, immediately, I'm drawn to the process itself. It's not a finished work but a series of investigations. Consider the materials: pencil and paper. Humble, accessible. Were these easily obtained materials at that time and place? Were there societal expectations around art making and labor that may be related to this drawing? Editor: That’s a really interesting angle. I was just seeing a landscape sketch, but your perspective completely shifts it. Curator: Exactly. This challenges the notion of the artist as some divinely inspired figure. Vreedenburgh is engaging with the world through the immediate, tangible act of drawing, of applying graphite to paper. Editor: So you are seeing a deliberate attempt to explore landscape art using commonplace material? What might influence his approach to creating Studies at that time? Curator: Consider the rise of industrialism and its effect on artistic labor. Also, let’s consider if paper production methods changed around the turn of the century; How might that affect the availability and the form of Vreedenburgh's "Studies"? He's engaging with the mundane realities of material production. Editor: So instead of looking for high art, we should really be questioning what went into the process of making. That's fascinating, it really opens it up. Curator: Precisely! Looking at it this way allows us to understand this work beyond just a study. It tells us how production and access to resources may affect the definition of “art.” Editor: That definitely changed how I will consider materials from now on. Thanks! Curator: It's been a pleasure to discuss how process shapes how we perceive art and production in our society.