Studieblad, mogelijk met boten 1912

This study, possibly featuring boats, was made by George Hendrik Breitner using graphite on paper. Looking at this sheet is like peering into the artist's mind, a space of half-formed ideas and fleeting impressions. The lines are quick, searching, almost nervous in their energy. They remind me of Cy Twombly’s drawings, but with a tighter, more pragmatic focus. I'm drawn to the cluster of marks near the top. They suggest the rigging of a boat, maybe, or the skeletal frame of some architectural structure. The graphite is applied with varying pressure, creating a sense of depth and shadow despite the spareness of the lines. It’s as if Breitner is trying to capture not just the appearance of things, but their underlying structure, the way they occupy space. Breitner, like Edgar Degas, was interested in the gritty realities of urban life. In this study, you can see him trying to find the poetry in the everyday, the beauty in the mundane. It's a reminder that art isn't just about the finished product, but about the process of seeing, thinking, and feeling.