Schilder aan het werk 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketch of a painter, with graphite on paper. Look at the pressure of the line, how it changes depending on the form. It’s a quick sketch, almost like a doodle, but it has a real sense of observation. You can see the artist’s hat, the way he’s hunched over his work. The lines are scratchy and uncertain in places, like Vreedenburgh is feeling his way around the subject. Take a look at the artist's hand on the right of the image, it’s almost like a scribble, but it perfectly captures the gesture of holding a brush. There’s also a beautiful economy to the drawing. It reminds me of Philip Guston's late drawings; loose, raw, and full of feeling. And, like Guston's work, it reminds us that art is not about perfect representation, but about the process of seeing and feeling.