Dorpsgezicht aan het water 1880 - 1882

This quick pencil sketch of a waterside village was drawn by George Hendrik Breitner sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The houses and boats clustered together remind us that settlements gravitate towards water. The verticality of the architecture and masts mimics the natural verticality of trees and the human form. The repetition of vertical lines is a visual echo, an ancestral memory of uprightness. The lines remind us of ancient Egyptian columns, which were also inspired by the shapes of trees in nature, acting as a symbol of stability and order. This primal connection resonates even now; we see the same verticality echoed in modern skyscrapers. This urge for upward motion is a shared, recurring motif, a testament to our enduring dialogue with the world around us.