Schepen bij een brug 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing, "Schepen bij een brug", with graphite on paper. I can almost see him there, rapidly sketching these boats and buildings. He’s not belaboring any details, just trying to capture the scene’s essence. Look at the way he renders the reflections in the water with these quick, almost scribbled lines. It’s like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, a feeling, as much as he is trying to record the image. I love how the sketch has a raw, immediate quality. It reminds me of other plein air painters. Like them, Vreedenburgh must have been inspired by the light and atmosphere of this place. I bet artists before and after him went to that same spot, set up their easels, and tried to capture what they saw and felt. That’s what’s so great about painting, it's like one big, ongoing conversation across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.