Gezicht op Emmerik, 1672 1900 - 1903

The frères Moreau made this drawing of Gezicht op Emmerik in 1672, most likely with graphite or a similar drawing medium. I'm really drawn to the thin, delicate lines used to capture the architecture. It's like the whole city is rendered with a gentle touch. The way the artists built up the forms with these fine marks is interesting; you can feel the slow, deliberate process. The softness of the lines also gives the piece a dreamlike quality. Look at how the horizon line is barely there, just a faint suggestion, and how this makes the city almost float above the water. It reminds me of Piranesi’s etchings, where the buildings seem to exist in a world of their own. This piece isn't just a drawing of a city, it's a meditation on seeing and remembering. It is the way that art is about capturing a feeling more than a precise image.