Figuren op het Damrak te Amsterdam 1886 - 1923

This sketchy little drawing of figures on the Damrak in Amsterdam was made by George Hendrik Breitner, a Dutch artist from the late 19th and early 20th century. You can almost see the artist capturing a fleeting moment, quickly trying to fix what was in front of him on a small piece of paper, only 99 x 159 mm. I can imagine him standing there, charcoal stick in hand, thinking about Velasquez or Manet, or even Degas with his interest in capturing modern life as it unfolds. I wonder if he was happy with the way it turned out? I'm often not happy with the way my work turns out! But there's something beautiful about the simplicity and directness of the marks, the rough texture of the charcoal on paper. It feels raw, like a glimpse into the artist's mind. I love the little figures. It's all suggestion; there is so much left unsaid in this piece. Breitner is contributing to an ongoing conversation between artists, exchanging ideas across time and place. It's all about the process of seeing and feeling, not just representing what's there.