Gezicht op het Rokin te Amsterdam, ter hoogte van het Beursstraatje Possibly 1907 - 1911

This drawing of the Rokin in Amsterdam by George Hendrik Breitner is a great example of how a simple medium like graphite can capture the essence of a place through the act of mark-making. The lines are spare, almost skeletal, but they build a space we can recognise. Look at the way Breitner uses short, hatched lines to suggest the texture of buildings and the way he varies the pressure of the pencil to create a sense of depth. It’s like he’s thinking aloud with his pencil. It's not a photorealistic rendering, but it has an energy and immediacy that a more finished drawing might lack. Reminds me of the quick, gestural sketches of Manet, where the focus is on capturing the feeling of a scene, rather than every last detail. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfect representation, but about the artist's encounter with the world and the traces that encounter leaves on the page.