Prins Hendrikkade met de Schreierstoren en Nicolaaskerk te Amsterdam 1890 - 1946

Here we see a view of Amsterdam, made with pencil on paper by Cornelis Vreedenburgh. Look at how Vreedenburgh has built the composition with a network of fine pencil lines. It’s like he’s mapping the space. The surface of the paper is visible throughout, creating a soft, almost dreamlike quality. In areas like the buildings and the canal, the pencil marks are denser, giving a sense of depth and volume. But elsewhere, the lines are so light that they barely register, leaving much to our imagination. Notice the way the artist renders the Schreierstoren. It is not precisely defined but emerges from a cluster of marks. This approach reminds me a bit of the early sketches of Turner, where the atmosphere and light are more important than the details. Vreedenburgh, like Turner, invites us to participate in the act of seeing, to co-create the image with him. It’s a reminder that art is not just about what is depicted, but how it is depicted.