Tabel 1890 - 1946

This table by Cornelis Vreedenburgh, sitting here in the Rijksmuseum, looks like it was made with ink on paper, a humble and unassuming piece. I can almost imagine the artist hunched over it, pen in hand, meticulously drawing lines and writing numbers. It makes you think of the act of creation, the artist making marks on paper, lines shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. What was Vreedenburgh thinking as he made it? What kind of a life did he lead? These are some pretty ordinary marks, some pretty ordinary shapes. But look closer at the texture of the paper. It’s almost as if the paper has absorbed his thoughts. It’s funny how something as simple as a line can communicate feeling, intention, or meaning. I feel a deep connection to all artists who have put pen to paper or brush to canvas. We are all in an ongoing conversation, inspiring one another’s creativity across time. Painting is embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.