Annotaties 1917

This page of annotations was made by George Hendrik Breitner at an unknown date, and with an unknown medium – but it is a feast for the eyes, and the mind. Look at the surface, chaotic but somehow so orderly. The graphite scrawl is so physical, he is wrestling with something here. There are lists, calculations, crossed-out words; the materiality of thought is being laid bare on the page. The paper itself, aged and stained, adds another layer to the palimpsest. It's like looking into Breitner's brain, or perhaps into the accumulated thoughts that led to his art. The circles around phrases indicate a hierarchy of importance, like he is trying to solve a puzzle. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's sketchbooks, the way he combined text and image, blurring the lines between writing and drawing. Both artists embrace the messiness of process, inviting us to witness their thinking in real time. Here, Breitner shows us that art is not just about the finished product, but the journey of exploration and discovery.