Schilder aan het werk 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this sketch of a painter at work in the early 20th century. Just imagine Vreedenburgh with his sketchbook, quickly capturing the scene with those delicate pencil lines. You can almost feel the artist’s focus as he squints, hat pulled low, totally absorbed in the act of painting. I wonder what was going through Vreedenburgh’s head as he made this image? Does he capture something of his own absorption in the painter’s concentration? That quick, confident line that defines the painter’s shoulder—it’s so economical, yet it tells you everything you need to know. It reminds me of some of Philip Guston’s quick sketches—just a few lines, but they convey so much. It’s like a secret language painters share, this ability to capture the essence of a moment with minimal means. We’re all in conversation, riffing off each other’s ideas, across time and space.