Annotaties 1907 - 1909

This notebook page, by George Hendrik Breitner, looks like it was made on the go, maybe in a train, or a cafe. The paper is aged and off-white, the marks are loose graphite, and the writing is a mix of addresses and names, places jotted down in an idle moment. I can imagine Breitner pausing, pulling out his notebook, capturing a fleeting idea or a person he needs to remember. It’s so casual, like a painter’s version of a shopping list, but it's also a space of spontaneous creation, a record of everyday life. The way the graphite sits on the page is fascinating. It’s not precious, but it's full of feeling. Looking at the way the artist has written these words makes me think about Cy Twombly and his scrawled markings. All these artists – Breitner, Twombly, and countless others – show us how the simple act of mark-making can become an intimate conversation between the artist, the world, and us.