Torenspits tussen de bomen 1890 - 1946

Here's a little sketch made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh, using what looks like graphite on paper. The spire looms, rendered with such delicate, almost tentative lines, surrounded by trees. I can imagine Vreedenburgh outside, squinting in the sun, trying to capture a sense of depth. Those strokes around the tower—they’re like a whispered translation of leaves rustling in the wind. There is a dialogue between precision and looseness. The spire itself has an architectural sensibility to it; a formal structure, and then the surrounding foliage dances freely. What does it mean to fix something solid like that with something ephemeral like foliage? It might just mean that even what we think is secure and solid is always changing, even if we can't feel it. That’s what painting does—it pins down a moment, but also hints at everything beyond the frame.