Gezicht op de Nieuwe Teertuinen te Amsterdam 1912 - 1919

George Hendrik Breitner drew this view of the Nieuwe Teertuinen in Amsterdam, using graphite on paper, and it feels like he’s really figuring something out as he goes. The marks here are so tentative, almost like he's feeling his way through the scene. Look at how he renders the buildings on the right side, a series of straight lines piled on top of each other, almost like a child's drawing. But then, notice the figures in the foreground, so fleeting and ephemeral, barely there at all! This makes me think of Cy Twombly, in a way, that same sense of immediacy and vulnerability. It's like Breitner is saying, "Here's what I see, but it's all subject to change, and that's okay." It’s a reminder that art isn't about perfection, it's about the process.