Figuur in een heuvellandschap c. 1936

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketch, "Figure in a Hilly Landscape", using graphite on paper. In this work, the quick marks of graphite on paper create a dialogue between intention and accident, typical of sketches. Note the varying pressure of the graphite, which lends depth and volume to the scene with minimal effort. The artist employed hatching and contour lines, techniques common in both fine art and technical drawing. Unlike painting, which can be endlessly reworked, drawing is immediate. You have to be brave, because the marks are difficult to erase without leaving a trace. This quality of immediacy perhaps explains why artists return to drawing again and again throughout their careers. By considering the material qualities of graphite and paper, and the deliberate yet spontaneous act of drawing, we can better understand the artistic process and the interplay between intention and execution.