Gezicht te Amsterdam, mogelijk het Damrak c. 1892 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch, possibly of the Damrak in Amsterdam, using graphite on paper. It's all about the touch, you know? The quick, almost frantic marks of the graphite, they give this sketch such immediacy. I love the way the buildings sort of emerge from the page, not really defined, more like a feeling of a place. Look at the dark, scribbled lines massed together, creating depth and shadow. Then there are the lighter, almost hesitant lines that suggest form. There’s a rawness here. The texture of the paper becomes part of the image itself, and you get the sense that Breitner wasn’t trying to create a perfect representation, but rather capture a fleeting moment, a vibe. It reminds me a little of some of the early sketches by Manet, where the process of seeing and recording is just as important as the subject matter. Art is always a conversation, isn't it?