Gezicht op een straat met een rij bomen c. 1909

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of a street with trees using what looks like charcoal. It's like a quick sketch, raw and immediate. You know, I can almost feel the charcoal scratching against the paper. Breitner's marks are so alive, so full of energy. He wasn't trying to create a perfect picture but capturing a feeling, a moment in time. I wonder what he was thinking as he sketched? Was he in a hurry, trying to catch the light before it changed? Or was he lost in thought, letting his hand move almost without him, the buildings and trees emerging from the shadows? I think he was fascinated by the urban landscape, how it feels to just wander the streets. It reminds me how painting can be like a conversation, a way of thinking through feeling. He’s having a dialogue with the world.