Gezicht in Amsterdam, mogelijk Bickerseiland 1892 - 1900

Editor: This is George Hendrik Breitner's "View in Amsterdam, Possibly Bickerseiland," dating from between 1892 and 1900, made with pencil on drawing paper. It feels raw and immediate, almost like a fleeting glimpse captured in charcoal... well, pencil. What strikes you about it? Curator: The sketchbook itself is key here. Breitner was obsessed with documenting the industrialized city and its working class. He employed photography extensively, but drawings like these show a direct, unmediated engagement. Notice the quality of the paper – the lined sketchbook suggests a casual, almost utilitarian approach to art-making. It rejects the preciousness often associated with fine art. Editor: So, it's not about elevating the subject, but about the act of recording? Curator: Precisely. Consider the rapid, almost frantic mark-making. Breitner isn’t trying to create a polished image. Instead, he’s focused on capturing the essence of a specific moment and place, revealing how those imposing structures impinge on the everyday. The lines almost mimic the chaotic energy of the developing city itself. Think about the labour involved – both in the construction depicted, and Breitner's own act of recording. It really underscores the physical act of making and observing. Editor: I see what you mean about labor! That frenetic mark making almost emphasizes the buildings were thrown up just as quickly. I guess I assumed sketches were only prep for bigger paintings, but here it feels like it is the point. Curator: It makes you wonder about the distinction we draw between ‘finished’ art and preliminary sketches, doesn’t it? And whether that distinction truly holds. Editor: Definitely gives a new meaning to considering process as its own artwork! I'll definitely keep that in mind moving forward. Thanks!