Perspectiefoefening van Doetinchemse kerktoren 1770 - 1778

Curator: Jan Brandes's pencil drawing, "Perspectiefoefening van Doetinchemse kerktoren," made circa 1770, presents a fascinating study of architectural form. What strikes you immediately about this piece? Editor: Well, the sparseness of it. It’s so minimal, almost ethereal. Just these skeletal outlines hinting at the church tower, creating this light, airy feel on the page. Curator: That’s perceptive. Given its creation during the rise of neoclassicism, the artist would have emphasized clarity, order and reason, and the purity of line –notice how those unadorned lines articulate the tower. The labor implied here involves mastering the tools of architectural representation, an intellectual pursuit valued by Brandes's peers and patrons. Editor: From my view, it also explores pure form. The texture of the paper is almost as important as the drawing itself; it is as if Brandes sought a union between thought and execution, each inseparable. The drawing almost escapes from the surface and achieves independence. Curator: I see your point about its visual independence; but consider how the paper itself becomes a material testament to the costs involved. We see a direct result from the availability, handling, and circulation that would’ve enabled its creation. This sketch embodies both material constraints and creative opportunity. Editor: Maybe, but still the formal qualities—the subtle variations in line thickness, the perspective tricks—all suggest Brandes's intention to do more than just record. Look closely to where he notated near a small sketch of a person to the right; there is something intrinsically beautiful about it all, no matter how much context we analyze around its making. Curator: Yes, and understanding that Brandes's meticulous planning, evidenced here in this perspective study, contributed directly to architectural developments throughout the Netherlands is part of the artwork’s significance to me. Editor: I understand. I simply think it's compelling how this humble sketch holds an almost boundless contemplative space through its precise rendering of form and materiality.