Gezicht op een straat in Amsterdam c. 1903

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of a street in Amsterdam, probably in a sketchbook, sometime in his life. It’s just lines on paper, but they sure do something, don't they? The magic is in how the marks vary: some are thick and dark, others are light and scratchy, and together they describe light, depth, and feeling. Breitner isn’t precious with his marks. He throws them down and trusts in the overall image. Look at the rooftops on the right-hand side, and notice how they almost become abstract shapes, rectangles stacked on top of each other. The drawing reminds me a bit of Philip Guston's late work, where everyday objects become cartoonish and strange, charged with feeling. It's like Breitner's showing us that seeing is also a way of thinking and feeling. There's a conversation going on, always, between artists!