Omheinde weide 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing, Omheinde weide, with graphite on paper. It’s all about the directness of the hand in this one, right? You can almost see Vreedenburgh outside, squinting in the bright sunlight, and trying to quickly capture the essence of the meadow. There’s a real sense of urgency in the marks, like he’s racing against time. The texture is incredible—the way he uses cross-hatching to create depth and shadow, but also leaving areas untouched, letting the white of the paper breathe. It reminds me of the way Cézanne built up his landscapes with those little planes of color. I wonder if Vreedenburgh knew his work? That one long, unbroken line stretching across the top – is that the horizon, or something else? It's not so much about what is drawn, as the thinking and feeling made visible. We feel like we're right there with him, experiencing the landscape firsthand.