Gezicht op het Damrak te Amsterdam 1910

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of the Damrak in Amsterdam with graphite. I can almost feel Breitner wrestling with what he sees, trying to pin it down with these quick, searching lines. Look how the graphite smudges and smears, like he's trying to capture not just the buildings, but the very atmosphere of the place. It reminds me of some of Philip Guston's nervous, searching lines. I wonder what Breitner was thinking as he sketched? Was he trying to capture the bustle of the city, or was he more interested in the play of light on the water? You can see him really thinking with the graphite to work out what exactly is in front of him. Each mark feels intuitive and considered. Breitner is in conversation with other artists who are working in similar ways, and his work will inspire more artists who will push at the medium of drawing. Making art is a way of showing and working things out.