Gezicht op Rotterdam vanaf het water 1910

Simon Moulijn drew this view of Rotterdam from the water at an unknown date using graphite. Look at the soft, atmospheric light as it skims across the water, the clouds, and the skyline. I can almost feel Moulijn sitting there, maybe on a boat, squinting against the glare, graphite in hand. What’s he thinking about as he renders these almost photographic clouds? The subtle tonal variations create such depth and volume. You can feel the weight of the clouds and the endlessness of the water. It reminds me that drawing is a form of thinking. It’s about looking really closely, and responding to what you see with your hand and your heart. Moulijn takes something grand, like a cityscape, and makes it intimate, personal. And in a funny way, that makes me feel closer to Rotterdam, even though I’ve never been. It’s like he’s saying, "Hey, come see the world through my eyes." And that’s what art is all about, right? Artists showing each other, and us, how they see the world.