Wolkenlucht boven land 1886 - 1923

This unassuming little sketch, *Wolkenlucht boven land*, was made by George Hendrik Breitner sometime in his life, probably with a pencil on whatever paper was handy. What I love about this is the immediacy of the marks. It feels like Breitner was trying to capture a fleeting moment, a feeling of the sky. Look at the way he suggests the clouds with these loose, wandering lines. It's like he's mapping the sky. Then there are these vertical strokes at the bottom, maybe suggesting masts of boats? They feel so delicate, like they could disappear any second. The whole thing is so open and unresolved. It reminds me of some of James McNeill Whistler's sketches – that same interest in capturing a mood rather than a literal depiction. For Breitner, and for Whistler, art wasn't about perfection, it was about the messy, beautiful process of trying to see.