Huis in een landschap c. 1935 - 1936

Cornelis Vreedenburgh sketched "Huis in een landschap" using graphite on paper. At first glance, one sees only a rudimentary landscape with a building, but consider how the depiction of home touches upon the archetype of shelter and belonging. Since antiquity, the house has symbolized not only physical protection but also the emotional and psychological security of family and community. Think of the Roman "domus," a sacred space embodying the family's lineage and ancestral spirits. In Vreedenburgh's sketch, the house, though simple, evokes this primal connection to home. Notice how the lines, so tentative and raw, stir a feeling of vulnerability? This can be paralleled with similar, more complex structures across time, like the fortified medieval castles that, while grand, also speak to the ever-present human need for safety. The house, then, becomes a stage for our deepest fears and hopes, a reflection of our inner selves projected onto the external world.