Piazza de Ferrari te Genua 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh captured Piazza de Ferrari in Genoa with pencil on paper, creating a study that emphasizes structure and form. The drawing presents a world rendered in layered lines and tonal values. Vreedenburgh constructs the architectural space using hatching techniques, setting up a visual dialogue between solidity and ethereality. Note the archway to the left, its solid form anchored by darker, more deliberate strokes, juxtaposed against the figures, whose fleeting presence is conveyed through lighter, sketchier lines. The composition suggests a semiotic interplay. The static architecture stands as a signifier of enduring structure, while the dynamic human figures become fleeting signifiers of urban life. Vreedenburgh does not merely depict a scene, but interprets it, inviting us to reflect on the relationship between permanence and transience. Vreedenburgh’s work reminds us that drawing is not just about representation; it is a form of thinking through visual means.