Zittende hond 1890 - 1946

This simple, tender drawing of a dog was made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh, and looking at it, I think he probably used graphite on paper. The quick, light strokes are like a visual shorthand, capturing the essence of the subject with minimal fuss. You can really see the artist working out the form, feeling his way through the curves and angles. It's like he’s saying, "Here's the dog, but also, here's the process of seeing the dog.” I’m especially drawn to the way Vreedenburgh captures the dog's fur with these scratchy, almost frantic lines. It gives the dog a real sense of energy, as if it’s just waiting to spring to life. It reminds me of drawings by Manet, who also used simple marks to capture the feeling of a moment. And just like Manet, Vreedenburgh shows us that art is more about asking questions than giving answers.