Zwemmers op een aanlegsteiger 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of swimmers at a landing stage with pencil on paper, at an unknown date. Look at how the swimmers are rendered with just a few strokes – it’s all about capturing the feeling, the motion, rather than getting bogged down in detail. The texture of the paper itself becomes part of the image, it gives it this casual, breezy quality like something jotted down on a summer afternoon. Notice how Vreedenburgh uses the pencil to create different effects. In some areas, the lines are light and feathery, suggesting movement. In others, they’re darker and more defined, giving weight to the figures on the pier. There’s a certain joy in seeing how the artist’s hand moved across the page, almost like a dance. For me, this piece calls to mind the work of Manet, especially his quick, impressionistic sketches. But it’s also its own thing – a little slice of life, captured with a sense of freedom and spontaneity. Art isn’t about perfection, it’s about the conversation.