Stadsgezicht 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this city scape with pencil on paper, a light and airy sketch, just a whisper of a city. I can imagine Vreedenburgh standing on a street corner, squinting in the sunlight, trying to capture the essence of a place with just a few strokes. Look at how he uses these marks to suggest depth and distance, the weight of the buildings, the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s incredible how such a simple medium can convey so much. These gestures are so intimate, like a secret language between the artist and the paper, not unlike some of Morandi's etchings. What is so amazing is that artists are always learning from each other, picking up ideas and techniques, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, it's a lineage. And when you look at a work like this, you’re not just seeing a picture, you’re also seeing a little piece of art history.