Aangemeerde boten bij een kade 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketch of boats docked at a quay with graphite on paper. It’s quick and loose, like he was trying to catch a feeling more than a literal image. Look at the way he builds the forms with these light, searching lines, almost scribbles. It feels like he’s thinking through the drawing, letting the process guide him. You can almost see him shifting his weight, adjusting his gaze. There’s a beautiful passage where the darks are built up in layers. The graphite is dense and smudgy, giving the boats a real sense of weight. Then notice how he leaves other areas almost untouched, just a few suggestive lines. I see a bit of Whistler in the airy composition. It's a reminder that art is a conversation across time, where artists borrow, steal, and transform ideas. This sketch is about the joy of seeing, the pleasure of capturing a fleeting moment.