Gezicht op gebouwen en bomen 1907 - 1909

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch, Gezicht op gebouwen en bomen, with a pencil, at some point in his life. The all-overness of the marks, the way they move with a certain rhythm and intensity, makes me think about how drawing is such a direct way to capture experience. Look closely, and you can see how the pencil lines vary – some are dark and bold, others are light and sketchy, creating a sense of depth and texture. The way Breitner uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up tone is particularly interesting. It’s almost like he’s sculpting the forms with his pencil, gradually bringing the buildings and trees to life on the page. There’s a lovely energy in the way the lines dance and intersect. That scribble on the right-hand side is really great - it's like he's testing the pencil's range, finding the edge of visibility. Breitner's quick, impressionistic style reminds me a little of some of Manet's sketches, where the emphasis is on capturing the fleeting moment rather than precise detail. Like Manet, Breitner seems to be more interested in the feeling of the scene than in creating a perfect representation.