Boerderijen 1910

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing, Boerderijen, in his sketchbook. You can almost feel Breitner's hand moving across the page, the quick, decisive strokes capturing the essence of the farmhouses with an almost urgent energy. It’s all about process; he’s figuring something out here. Look closely, and you'll see how the charcoal creates a beautiful, velvety texture. It’s not just about rendering the scene, it's about the physicality of the medium itself. The way the lines vary in weight and intensity, some areas smudged and blurred, others sharp and defined, speaks to a real dialogue between the artist and the paper. Check out the roof on the right; it’s a flurry of angled lines, a jumble that somehow manages to convey the solidness of the structure. Breitner reminds me of other artists like Van Gogh, who also weren't afraid to embrace the raw energy of the mark. And that, to me, is what art is all about – a messy, beautiful conversation that never really ends.