Rietstengels 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh sketched these Rietstengels, or reed stems, with graphite on paper. I like to think of this drawing as the work of a forager—Vreedenburgh goes out, finds some reeds, and brings them back, not as objects, but as lines, as marks. It feels immediate, a quick study, but there’s also something deeply satisfying in the way the stems curve and overlap. I can almost feel the scratch of the graphite, the give of the paper. The simplicity of the gesture reminds me of Cy Twombly’s scribbles, or even Agnes Martin’s delicate lines. These artists, like Vreedenburgh, share an interest in the basic elements of art, the way a simple mark can hold so much feeling. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to be big or loud to be powerful. Sometimes, the quietest gestures speak the loudest.