Stadsgezicht met brug en kerk 1885 - 1940

Johan Hendrik van Mastenbroek made this drawing of a city view with a bridge and church. The approach to mark-making here is really interesting, because it feels both precise and spontaneous. You can tell he’s really looking, but there’s an energy to the line that keeps it from being too stiff. The texture is also lovely. The paper has a bit of tooth, and the pencil or charcoal really grabs onto it. Look at the water, and how he’s used these little flicks and dashes to suggest movement and reflection. There’s a kind of shimmering quality to it that’s really beautiful. And then, notice how the bridge itself is rendered with these darker, more deliberate lines. It gives it a sense of weight and solidity, like it’s really anchored in the space. It's a nice contrast. I think of Whistler and his etchings of London, which have a similar feel. But Mastenbroek has his own thing going on. There’s a directness to it that I find really appealing. It reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation.