Langebrug en de Langebrugsteeg te Amsterdam, gezien vanaf het Rokin 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of Langebrug and de Langebrugsteeg in Amsterdam with pencil on paper. Look at how Breitner lays down these lines, almost like he’s feeling his way through the scene. There's a real sense of immediacy, as if he's capturing a fleeting moment. The texture of the paper comes through, giving the sketch a raw, unfiltered quality. The pencil marks vary in pressure and thickness, creating a dynamic surface. Notice how the lines around the bridge are more deliberate, defining the structure, while others are lighter and more suggestive, creating depth and atmosphere. That scribbled line under the bridge, for example, it’s a confident stroke. You get the sense that Breitner knew exactly what he wanted to convey with just a few marks. It reminds me a bit of some of Philip Guston’s gestural drawings. Both artists share this ability to distill a scene down to its essential elements, embracing ambiguity and openness.