Gezicht op het Spui te Amsterdam 1907

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of the Spui in Amsterdam using graphite on paper. What strikes me most is the ghost image on the right-hand page. You can see the artist made a first attempt at capturing the building, before committing to a firmer outline on the left. It's like a pentimento, a hidden history of mark-making. I imagine Breitner, sketchbook in hand, standing on the street, rapidly trying to fix the scene before him. What’s so great about sketching is its immediacy, the way it gets right to the heart of seeing. Look at those windows, each one described by a few quick strokes. I love the feeling of the artist trying to seize the essence of this urban landscape. This sketch reminds me of the work of other artists who embraced the sketch, like Philip Guston and his late drawings. It's like a visual record of thought, where each line carries the weight of observation and feeling. It’s this conversation across time and practice that makes art so endlessly inspiring.