Man en vrouw aan een tafel c. 1935 - 1936

This black ink drawing by Cornelis Vreedenburgh pictures a man and woman at a table. There's a real sense of the artist sketching spontaneously, a looseness to the strokes, and a kind of shorthand notation that comes from looking hard. I can imagine Vreedenburgh, pen in hand, quickly capturing the essence of these figures, not trying to be perfect, but just trying to get something down that's alive. Look at the marks he makes to suggest the man’s beard and the woman's hat, the economy of line, the way the faces are simplified. It feels like an intimate, casual moment, maybe in a café, or someone’s home. There’s also something about the way the figures are placed on the page that’s interesting. They seem to float, untethered to any specific context. It reminds me of other artist's drawings, quick sketches that feel very personal and immediate. Like he's in conversation with them, but also with us. Isn’t that what art is all about?