Drie mannen 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketch, "Drie mannen," with what looks like a graphite stick, and just look at those smudges—evidence of the artist's hand moving across the paper, feeling out the figures. I wonder if Vreedenburgh was trying to capture the essence of these folks in as few lines as possible? There's a vulnerability to the exposed line, a realness that's hard to fake, you know? The way he’s scratched in those quick, looping marks to give a sense of the form, it's not trying to be precise, but it sure is expressive. The sketchy quality almost makes the figures feel like they are moving. It reminds me of those casual sketches by Manet and Degas. Artists, we're all just trying to figure things out, riffing off each other, building on what came before, so that what comes next has something to stand on. It is a quiet image, but it speaks volumes about the simple pleasures of seeing.