Uitzicht op een straat in Utrecht vanuit de trein 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this pencil sketch of a street in Utrecht, presumably on the spot, while travelling by train. It has that kind of loose, observant quality. Look at the way he's captured the buildings and figures with such simple, economical lines. There’s a real sense of immediacy, as if he’s just quickly jotting down what he sees. The texture of the paper comes through, adding to that feeling of being there with the artist, looking over his shoulder. I find it beautiful in it’s simplicity. I keep coming back to the way the lines taper and thicken, especially in the foreground. There's a lovely gestural quality to them, a sense of movement and flow. It reminds me a little of Whistler’s sketches, in the way he captures atmosphere with minimal means. It shows that art is just as much about looking and recording as it is about heavy concepts. It is a conversation between artists through time.