Gezicht op de Heiligeweg te Amsterdam 1907

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of the Heiligeweg in Amsterdam with graphite on paper. The lines are quick, like he’s trying to catch a fleeting moment. It’s all about the process of seeing and recording. I love how he uses these scribbled lines to suggest buildings and objects. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s gestural marks, but with a touch more grounded reality. Notice the windows on the left; they’re not perfect, but they capture the essence of the architecture. Then, on the right, those lines hinting at scaffolding, like the city is always under construction, always changing. For me, the beauty of this piece is in its incompleteness, its openness. It’s not trying to be a perfect representation, it’s more like a feeling, an impression. It's like Breitner is inviting us to finish the drawing ourselves, to imagine the city in motion.