Stadsgezicht, mogelijk in Oudewater c. 1828 - 1897

Adrianus Eversen created this pencil drawing, titled ‘Cityscape, possibly in Oudewater,’ at an unknown date. Observe how the buildings are rendered with a skeletal quality, constructed from a network of fine lines. This deliberate lack of detail prompts us to consider what Eversen aimed to capture. Instead of a precise depiction, he offers us the underlying structure of the scene. Eversen’s sketch employs a semiotic language where lines function as signs, pointing to the essence of architectural forms and the way space is organised. The drawing destabilizes the conventional notion of a cityscape. The work emphasizes how art, even in its most preliminary form, engages with broader ideas about perception and representation. It is a structural exploration using the bare minimum of marks.