Stadsgezicht met toren 1822 - 1880

Reinier Craeyvanger made this cityscape sketch with graphite on paper. The ephemeral medium is so light it almost escapes the page, but this is part of its appeal. Notice how Craeyvanger captures a tower rising above the surrounding buildings? The sketch shows the basic structures of the buildings and tower, and how they are positioned in relation to one another. We can imagine the artist outside, on location, trying to absorb the essence of the urban landscape, with its play of architectural forms against the sky. As a drawing, it is both a work of art in its own right, and a document of a place and time. Craeyvanger's choice of such unassuming materials elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary. It reminds us that, through art, we can find beauty and significance in the everyday.