Zittende man aan een waterkant 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of a seated man by the waterside with pencil, probably en plein air. The immediacy and the economy of means with which Vreedenburgh captures the scene are striking; a few lines confidently placed on the page, and hey presto, we’re there with him! Look at the way he renders the seated man in the boat, all squiggles and dashes, yet utterly believable. The hatching which defines the architectural forms, also seems somehow casual, accidental almost, yet they build up a solid, tangible presence. This is a drawing about seeing, but also about feeling; it's a pure, unadulterated expression of the joy of looking. There’s something of Matisse in the playful, fluid line and the openness to the moment. Like him, Vreedenburgh invites us to embrace the beauty of simplicity, to find delight in the everyday, and to revel in the sheer pleasure of mark-making.