Prins Hendrikkade met de Schreierstoren te Amsterdam 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of the Prins Hendrikkade with the Schreierstoren in Amsterdam, using what looks like graphite on paper. You can see the process in the build-up of marks, that he's really feeling his way into the forms. I love the immediacy of drawings like this. The surface of the paper remains mostly visible, with Vreedenburgh using varying pressure to create depth and shadow. Look at the way he renders the Schreierstoren, how the lines are denser and more deliberate, giving it weight and presence. The tree to the right is rendered more loosely, with scribbled lines to create a sense of foliage. I see that contrast as being about the temporary nature of nature, compared to the solid architecture of the city. This sketch reminds me of drawings by the American artist Fairfield Porter, who also had a keen eye for the everyday. Drawings, like conversations, allow for an openness and ambiguity that is so vital to art.