Kade van een gracht 1890 - 1946

This sketch of a canal edge was made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh using graphite on paper. It's so immediate and simple! I love the way it captures a sense of place, as if Vreedenburgh was just walking around with his sketchbook, quickly jotting down what he saw. The texture is all in those graphite lines, hatched and layered to create depth and shadow. The artist uses the side of the graphite to create interesting variations in the width of the mark. Look at those dark, scribbled marks near the center of the drawing. They’re so free and expressive. They suggest the rough texture of the stone. It's all about feeling the surface, the weight, and the structure of things. It reminds me of those quick, gestural drawings that artists like Philip Guston would make, trying to grab the essence of a form with just a few lines. Vreedenburgh reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, a way of seeing and responding to the world, always open to interpretation.