Gezicht op een gebouw aan het water c. 1846 - 1882

This is a drawing titled "Gezicht op een gebouw aan het water" by Cornelis Springer housed at the Rijksmuseum. The pencil sketch presents a waterside building with an emphasis on structural elements. Springer uses the pencil to create a detailed and somewhat ordered representation of the building and its surrounding environment. We can see a building facade with windows and perhaps the outline of some architectural structure. The lines are light and thin, and create the atmospheric effect of the drawing. Springer's structuralist approach involves an attempt to capture the geometry and spatial relationships of what he sees. The architectural subject matter is depicted with the clear lines and form one might find in architectural plans, typical of academic and realist traditions. The composition, though appearing casual, is meticulously structured to guide the viewer's eye through various points of interest. This measured application, where line and form dictate the structure, reflects a broader cultural emphasis on order, rationality and the visual language of urban space.