Sint-Bavokerk te Haarlem, gezien vanuit de Jansstraat 1886 - 1908

George Hendrik Breitner created this sketch of the Sint-Bavokerk in Haarlem using graphite on paper. The composition is divided into two distinct halves. On the left, we see a cluster of heavily worked lines forming the architectural mass of the church. Breitner’s marks are urgent, almost frantic, building a dense network that suggests form through the sheer accumulation of graphite. To the right, the lines are more sparse and tentative, sketching out what appears to be a street scene, with a few strokes indicating figures and architectural elements. Breitner seems less interested in the precise representation of the church and more in capturing the vitality of the urban experience. The contrast between the worked and open halves of the composition prompts us to consider how modern artists approached the depiction of space and form. The sketch does not offer a stable, coherent image but rather an encounter, a fleeting impression. This work remains open, inviting our continuous interpretation.