Straatgezicht met de Montelbaanstoren te Amsterdam 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh captured this street view with the Montelbaan Tower in Amsterdam, probably around the 1920s, in pencil on paper. The marks are quick, like he was trying to grab the scene before it changed, or before the light shifted. You know, looking at this, I start to feel a bit for the artist, standing there, maybe a little cold, trying to get it all down. I can almost hear the scratching of the pencil, the quick decisions about what to include and what to leave out. The texture of the paper itself becomes part of the story. The softness of the graphite suggests a gray day. It makes you wonder, what was it like to be him standing there drawing the tower? Did he get tired? Was he happy with the sketch? I love how these artists are in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. Painting lets artists explore ambiguities and uncertainties, opening the door to all sorts of interpretations.