Man en vrouw bij een paard op de Dam te Amsterdam c. 1893s - 1903s

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a man and woman by a horse in Dam Square, Amsterdam, with a very direct, almost blunt charcoal line. There's no messing around here, just a quick grab at the scene. The beauty of this drawing is in its simplicity. It’s all about capturing a fleeting moment with as few strokes as possible. The marks are raw, almost like hasty notes. Breitner wasn’t trying to hide the process; he was embracing it. Look at how he suggests form with just a few lines. Notice that the horse is barely there, just an impression. The charcoal feels dry, almost crumbly, giving the whole thing a textured, immediate feel. It reminds me of some of Daumier’s sketches – that same sense of urban life caught on the fly, not precious, just honest. And like any good sketch, it leaves plenty of room for the viewer to fill in the gaps, to imagine the scene in full.