Figuren, mogelijk in een paardentram c. 1903

This is one page from a sketchbook by George Hendrik Breitner, made with a pencil. It feels so nice to see marks like these, immediate and unresolved. Look at how the lines dance! You can feel him trying to capture a quick impression of a horse-drawn tram, probably somewhere in Amsterdam. I love the contrast between the jumbled scribbles, and the more defined shapes he has captured. It's like, the energy of the city is all bundled up in the marks. The scribbled chaos of line is very interesting, you can see the pentimenti of repeated and reworked lines. The page itself is a beautiful warm grey, the kind of color you can only get with time. This drawing reminds me of artists like Daumier, or even Philip Guston, artists who were able to make something wonderful out of everyday life. This drawing feels ambiguous, like a glimpse into a half-remembered dream.