Studieblad, mogelijk met constructies 1881 - 1883

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch, possibly with charcoal, while exploring construction sites. The sketchbook page offers a glimpse into Breitner’s process: the way he captures fleeting moments and distills complex scenes into their basic linear forms. The composition reveals two distinct studies, each characterized by an economy of line that suggests rather than defines. On the right, architectural structures emerge from a tangle of strokes, conveying a sense of dynamic instability. The left side mirrors this, though more abstractly, with lines that hint at foundations and scaffolding. Breitner uses the structural possibilities of the medium to reflect the incomplete and transient nature of construction. His lines do not so much depict as they evoke, capturing the essence of transformation and the raw energy of urban development. The sketch then becomes a meditation on change and impermanence, mirroring the shifting landscapes of modernity.