Figuur op een straat met populieren en een klok 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this lively drawing of a street scene with ink on paper. I imagine Vreedenburgh standing on the side of the road, quickly and intuitively capturing the essence of the world around him. He must have been so sure of what he saw, because the marks he made are economical and spontaneous. Look how the shading suggests the forms of the trees, buildings, and a street clock. The composition leads the eye from the figure walking on the street to the architecture in the distance. The artist has placed the clock off-center, which creates a sense of dynamic imbalance. It reminds me of other en plein air painters like Johan Barthold Jongkind. These artists aren't trying to perfectly replicate the world; instead, they show us how they felt while experiencing it. I appreciate the honesty of this approach, which feels so human!