Brug en huizen aan een kade te Spaarndam 1916

Willem Cornelis Rip made this drawing of a bridge and houses on a quay in Spaarndam, probably in situ, using pencil on paper. You know, when you’re out drawing, you get into this rhythm of looking and marking, looking and marking. I can imagine Rip standing by the water, squinting at the scene before him, trying to capture the essence of this little town with just a few strokes. Notice how the lines are scratchy, like he’s feeling his way through the scene. He is trying to figure it out as he goes, making quick decisions about where to put each line. Think of it as a conversation between the artist and the place. Rip is not trying to create a perfect representation, but a feeling of a place, a moment in time. This piece reminds me a little of Corot's landscapes—that same sense of quiet observation and the joy of simply being present in the world. Artists keep looking and copying, and it ends up meaning something in the end.