Straathoek 1890 - 1946

Here is Cornelis Vreedenburgh's sketch of a street corner. It’s all rendered with the most delicate, yet sure of, hatched marks, almost floating across the page. I can just imagine Vreedenburgh standing on that corner, in the moment, squinting, trying to make sense of what he’s seeing, and then scratching it down, quick. It looks like he’s trying to map out the way a building looms up. The marks seem like they are searching, not sure what they're trying to find exactly. Take the windows: are they dark voids, or just rectangular forms? Then, look how he makes a quick swirly scribble as if to indicate a lamp on the corner! It is just enough to give us the information we need. It reminds me of the work of other sketchers and painters throughout time, from Van Gogh to Twombly – artists who all look, think, and then make their mark.