Façade van het Palazzo Nerucci te Sienna c. 1890 - 1922

Here is Johanna van de Kamer’s drawing of the Palazzo Nerucci in Sienna. She's used ink, capturing the building's facade with brisk, assured lines. I can just imagine van de Kamer standing in front of this Palazzo, sketchbook in hand. She squints, she observes, she starts to draw! There is a particular kind of seeing that comes from drawing like this; it's a way of understanding the relationship between eye, hand, and the world. I’m thinking of the way she’s captured the texture of the brickwork – each brick is defined with short, sharp strokes, creating a sense of depth and dimension. It's like she's building the Palazzo all over again, line by line. It reminds me a little of Piranesi, who also loved to draw architecture. It's like all artists, we look to the past to inform the present, drawing inspiration and carrying the conversation forward.