Figuren op een overkapt treinperron 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of figures on a covered train platform with pencil on paper. Look at how the lines are so immediate, like the artist was capturing a fleeting moment. It reminds me that artmaking is a process of responding, not just depicting. The texture here is all in the graphite, thick in the shadows, thin where the light hits. I love how the repetitive marks build up the architecture, but the figures are just a scribble, a gesture. See that little cluster of people near the bottom right? It's almost abstract, yet it totally conveys the feeling of a crowd. Vreedenburgh's work has a similar sensibility to that of Walter Sickert, finding beauty in everyday scenes. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be about grand statements. Sometimes, it's just about capturing a feeling, an atmosphere, a moment in time. And those moments can be surprisingly powerful.