Gezicht op gebouwen, mogelijk aan het water c. 1909

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of buildings, possibly on the water, in pencil on paper. It's a study, really, more about getting the feeling of the thing down than describing it exactly. Look how he's scribbled in the tone at the right side, that lovely deep grey that makes the buildings almost jump out at you. It's like he's trying to capture the light as much as the architecture. You can almost feel him, standing there, quickly trying to get it down before the moment passes. Then look at those vertical lines on the left, they feel so loose and free. Breitner was a contemporary of Van Gogh and, like him, he was interested in capturing the everyday life of the city. But while Van Gogh was all about color, Breitner was more interested in tone and atmosphere. You can see that here in this sketch, it’s like a visual record of a fleeting moment, full of light, shadow, and mood.