Landschap met water en bebouwing c. 1903

George Hendrik Breitner made this pencil sketch, 'Landschap met water en bebouwing,' which roughly translates to 'Landscape with water and buildings,' sometime in his life, and it's now here at the Rijksmuseum. It's just lines, you know? But those lines are everything. They're not precious; they're exploratory. See how some are darker, more assertive, while others are faint, like whispers? It's all about the push and pull, the give and take, a real sense of artmaking as a process. Look at the shading in the trees, the quick, scribbled marks creating volume and depth. Then, notice how the lines describing the buildings are more angular and precise, suggesting a different kind of form. The whole sketch feels immediate, like a fleeting impression captured on paper. Breitner reminds me a little of Manet in his commitment to the everyday, the unposed, and the beauty of the ordinary. It's more of a question than an answer, which is why art is such a good time.