Man op een brug over het water in een bos 1919

Willem Cornelis Rip made this drawing with graphite on paper at an unknown date. Doesn't it look like he was trying to capture a fleeting moment? I imagine him standing there, maybe on a bridge himself, quickly sketching what he sees. It’s like he’s trying to hold onto a thought, a feeling, rather than creating a perfect picture. The bridge and its reflection in the water are really just suggestions, aren't they? But they are enough to suggest water. Maybe Rip was drawn to the contrast between the rigid structure of the bridge and the fluid, ever-changing nature of the water and forest? Or perhaps he was exploring how a few simple lines can evoke an entire landscape, and an atmosphere. It reminds me of some of those quick landscape drawings made by Van Gogh. They share the idea of capturing a scene in its essence. In the end, it is all about one artist seeing through the eyes of another. What do you see?