Vegetatie c. 1902

George Hendrik Breitner made this pencil sketch called "Vegetatie," and looking at it, you can almost feel him capturing a fleeting impression. See how the lines are kind of scribbled and free, like a burst of energy trying to catch something quick? It's all about capturing the movement, the feeling of the vegetation, maybe in a park or a field. I can imagine Breitner standing there, squinting his eyes, trying to distill what he sees into these simple strokes. The drawing is sparse, but it's got a rhythm to it, right? I wonder if he was thinking about how to translate the vitality of nature into something that’s both abstract and recognizable. It reminds me of some of Monet’s sketches – that same impulse to catch the light and the life in just a few lines. It's like a painter’s shorthand, a quick note in a visual diary. These artists are always inspiring each other, even across time.