Zes zeilboten 1890 - 1946

Editor: We’re looking at “Zes zeilboten” by Cornelis Vreedenburgh, likely created sometime between 1890 and 1946. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. This feels like a quick sketch, maybe a study for a larger work, with six different angles on sailboats. It has an exploratory feel to it, almost like we're peering into the artist’s notebook. What stands out to you? Curator: It is precisely that “notebook” quality which intrigues me. It begs the question: For whom were these sketches intended? Were they a purely personal exercise, a visual record of observation? Or was Vreedenburgh perhaps envisioning a commissioned piece, documenting his preliminary thoughts for a client or a gallery? Understanding its context-- private contemplation or potential public display-- fundamentally alters our understanding of its artistic purpose. Editor: That's interesting. So, the potential for future use of this drawing informs our understanding of its role as art? Curator: Exactly. If we frame this drawing in the context of artistic labor in the late 19th/early 20th century, it may act as artifact illustrating an important time period. The emerging art market pushed artists to explore themes that would be desirable, pushing them toward initial sketches and studies to test concepts that might be commercially profitable. Do you notice the variations in style in this drawing that show his diversity in art styles? Editor: I do see how some are much simpler than others. Almost like a gradient. Curator: Precisely. The sketches themselves point to the tension that artist faced at that time in choosing the artistic avenue they may proceed on. This work serves as an insight on the role and struggles that came from artistry, something the general public can also partake in. Editor: It's fascinating to think about a seemingly simple sketch holding so much about art’s evolution as a marketable skill. I learned something new today. Curator: And I am happy to contribute. I, myself, have reconsidered the weight that these drawings of seemingly "minimal" importance hold in a deeper social aspect.