Twee aangespannen paarden 1912

George Hendrik Breitner dashed off this sketch of two horses pulling something, probably in preparation for a painting. See how he keeps it loose, a few dark lines to evoke the energy of the scene. I can imagine Breitner standing there, maybe in the cold, quickly trying to capture the essence of the horses, their weight and movement. The paper is almost empty, yet there's enough information for our minds to fill in the rest. It's like he's saying, 'Here, this is what caught my eye, now you see it too.’ I wonder, was he thinking of Daumier's quick sketches or Degas' pastels? It's a reminder that painting, even in its most reduced form, is about noticing, feeling, and sharing a moment. These raw sketches are often the most honest glimpse into an artist's process. They remind us that art is a conversation, artists responding to what they see and to each other across time.