Stadsgezicht, mogelijk in Pittsburgh c. 1909

George Hendrik Breitner made this quick sketch, possibly in Pittsburgh, using brown ink on paper. Look at the freedom in these lines! You can feel him trying to capture a sense of the city, but with a light touch. I imagine Breitner standing on a street corner, notebook in hand, quickly jotting down what he sees. See how he uses these repeated horizontal marks to suggest the buildings, and then darker, diagonal hatching to give them form. The ink is thin, almost watery, allowing for these loose, flowing lines. It's not about precise representation, but about capturing the energy of the place. These fast sketches remind me that painting isn't always about perfection, it's about exploration, and how artists are always in dialogue with each other and the world around them.