Montelbaanstoren aan de Oudeschans te Amsterdam 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this beautiful pencil drawing, Montelbaanstoren aan de Oudeschans te Amsterdam, likely in the early 20th century. The scene emerges from the page through delicate strokes and cross-hatching. I can imagine Vreedenburgh standing there, squinting, and hatching the tower with a soft pencil. Did he have to stand up to get the perspective right? It looks like he was trying to capture the atmosphere of the location; it has a real freshness. The softness of the graphite captures the light and shadow, giving the tower a sense of volume and presence. The drawing's simplicity and directness remind me of some of the quick sketches that artists like Van Gogh or even Rembrandt did. There is a conversation between artists that transcends time. We are all in the same game, trying to capture something essential, something fleeting, and grounding it in a form. The challenge is to find the means to express what is going on inside.