Gezicht op de Nieuwendijk te Amsterdam c. 1902

This is a pencil drawing by George Hendrik Breitner, called "Gezicht op de Nieuwendijk te Amsterdam." The sketchiness of the drawing tells us so much about Breitner's process. You can imagine him quickly capturing a scene, not aiming for perfect representation, but catching the feeling of a place. There's a beautiful simplicity in the lines. The buildings on the right are suggested with just a few strokes. See how he uses hatching to create shadows? The drawing isn't about detail, it's about the feeling of light, the basic forms of buildings, and the hustle of the street, all observed in a fleeting moment. The marks are raw, immediate, you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the paper. Breitner, like Degas, was interested in photography and modern life. This drawing is like a snapshot, capturing a moment in time. It reminds me of some of Philip Guston's late drawings, in that it embraces a kind of rough, honest aesthetic. It is not trying to be beautiful, but truthful, finding something real in the everyday.