Gezicht op gebouwen c. 1915 - 1916

This sketch, "Gezicht op gebouwen," by George Hendrik Breitner, is like a whisper of a city scene rendered in pencil on paper. It’s the kind of drawing where you can almost hear the pencil scratching, feeling Breitner working through what he sees, deciding what to keep and what to leave out. I find the simplicity of the marks so appealing. The lines are so raw and immediate, capturing the essence of these buildings with an almost casual grace. Look at the confidence in each stroke, the way he suggests detail without getting bogged down in it. It's like he’s saying, “Here’s the gist of it, fill in the rest yourself.” It reminds me of some of Philip Guston's later work—that same sense of getting right to the point. It’s not about perfection; it’s about conveying a feeling, a moment. And that’s what makes art so exciting, right? It’s not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions.