Gezicht op de hoek van de Kalverstraat en het Singel te Amsterdam c. 1902

This is a sketch by George Hendrik Breitner of the corner of Kalverstraat and Singel in Amsterdam. It’s just lines on paper, a drawing – the most immediate form of art making! There's an energy in this sketch that feels so alive. The texture of the paper, the quick, almost nervous lines, and the smudges all contribute to this sense of immediacy, like Breitner was trying to capture a fleeting moment, or feeling. Look at how the lines describe the building, the roof, the windows – it’s so economical! And those smudges in the sky, like a ghost of something erased, or perhaps a rain cloud looming, add to the drama. Breitner reminds me a little of Edgar Degas, both interested in capturing the fleeting moments of modern life. But where Degas is refined, Breitner is rough around the edges. It’s like he's saying, "Here’s Amsterdam, in all its messy, imperfect glory." And that, to me, is what makes it so beautiful.