Gezicht op een stad met een moskee c. 1936

This sketch of a cityscape with a mosque was made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh using graphite on paper. The quickness of the marks suggest an artist working directly, trying to capture a moment in time. I love the way the lines are so efficient. Each one says so much with so little hesitation. There's a confidence to the marks, a feeling like the artist knows exactly what they want to communicate. Look at the top right of the page. A dark mass of hatching gives way to a light structure, with each line placed perfectly in relation to the whole. It's not just a building, it's an impression of a building. This reminds me of drawings by Cy Twombly, where the apparent simplicity belies a deep understanding of space and form. It shows how art isn't just about what you depict, but about how you see.