Vrouw met kinderen aan de Overtoom te Amsterdam 1906

This sketch, of a woman with children in Amsterdam, was done by George Hendrik Breitner at an unknown date, probably in charcoal or graphite on paper. It’s all about the energy of mark-making, a real snapshot of a moment in time. The lines are so immediate, like he’s trying to capture the essence of the scene before it disappears. Look at how he uses these quick, almost scribbled lines to define the figures. There’s a real sense of movement and life, especially in the way he suggests the folds of the woman's clothing and the postures of the children. The zigzags at the bottom are fascinating, a shorthand for the ground they’re standing on, or maybe just a way to balance the composition. It reminds me a little of Daumier’s sketches – that same focus on capturing the everyday lives of ordinary people with an economy of means. It's like he's saying, "This is what it feels like to be here, right now." Art isn't about perfection, it's about capturing something real.