Zittende man aan een waterkant 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing, "Zittende man aan een waterkant," using what looks like graphite on paper. I like the idea of Vreedenburgh sitting and observing someone by the water's edge. There’s an economy to his marks that is quite remarkable. He’s found a way to indicate both the figure and the surrounding environment, so that the architectural forms on the right and the figure sitting on the left come together in one single compositional sketch. It is a study in form, of course. I find myself wondering what was going through the artist's mind at that moment. Was he thinking about the weight of line, the effect of light, or the spatial relationship between things? It’s a conversation, right? Artists are always having a conversation with the world and with each other. Looking at this sketch, I feel part of that conversation, inspired by Vreedenburgh's way of seeing and representing the world.