Dek van een zeilschip c. 1936

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of a ship’s deck with graphite on paper. See how the faintest of marks build up the scene before us; a mast, perhaps, and the ropes, and then what look like mooring bitts along the edge of the boat. It’s almost like the graphite is mimicking the sea mist, hanging in the air. What a sense of place! I can almost feel the movement of the ocean and the briny smell of the water. I wonder if Vreedenburgh was seasick while making this drawing, or whether he had his sea legs firmly planted. It’s a delicate drawing, tentative, and searching. As a painter, I really appreciate his deftness of touch. Artists are always in conversation with each other, borrowing and lending ideas. They’re constantly inspiring each other’s creativity, even across decades. In art, there are no fixed readings, no definitive interpretations, just endless possibilities.