Bordes op de hoek van het Haarlemmerplein en de Kleine Houtstraat te Amsterdam 1886 - 1908

Editor: Breitner’s "Bordes op de hoek van het Haarlemmerplein en de Kleine Houtstraat te Amsterdam," dating from 1886 to 1908, is a quick drawing on paper, held here at the Rijksmuseum. There’s something almost hesitant about it, a fragility in the lines. It reminds me of those first tentative sketches you make when you’re trying to capture a fleeting impression. What do you see in this piece, in these hushed streets? Curator: Hesitant, yes, but also wonderfully alive! For me, it’s like stumbling upon a secret whispered in pencil. Think of Breitner, wandering those Amsterdam streets, not just observing, but absorbing. This isn’t about photorealistic accuracy, darling; it's about the feel of a place, a moment captured. I wonder if he was thinking about Japanese prints and their bold lines as he made this? Notice how he uses so few lines to suggest so much…the bustle, the chill in the air. Does that resonate with you at all? Editor: Absolutely. The sparseness really emphasizes the feeling of a cold day, the sky feels expansive despite being barely sketched in. Curator: Exactly! It’s more of a memory than a mirror. Art isn’t always about what you see, but how it makes you feel, no? He evokes the bones of the architecture. That's real power, isn't it? He leaves us room to dream within the lines. It really makes you want to bundle up and get lost in a new place, with a sketchbook! Editor: It definitely does! I never really thought about sketchbooks in terms of dreaming… Curator: Precisely, it's a thought and place that never quite materialized outside Breitner's imagining. They contain worlds. Editor: Thanks! Now I will explore the show's collection with the sketchbooks on display in mind.