Vrouw op een brug in Amsterdam 1909

George Hendrik Breitner drew this sketch of a woman on a bridge in Amsterdam with charcoal on paper. It's all about the process here – you can almost see Breitner making those marks, figuring things out as he goes. The texture is amazing; you can feel the grain of the paper coming through. The charcoal is so immediate, so raw. Look at the woman's form, how it's just a few lines, but it totally captures a mood, a feeling of someone passing through. The dark, scribbled lines in the background suggest the buildings of Amsterdam looming above her. It’s like a visual shorthand, capturing the essence of a moment. This reminds me of some drawings by Paula Modersohn-Becker, that same directness and intimacy. Art's just a big conversation, right? It's not about having all the answers, but about asking good questions, and leaving room for the unexpected.