Gezicht op het Rokin in Amsterdam c. 1903

This sketch of the Rokin in Amsterdam was made by George Hendrik Breitner in pencil on paper. Look at these tentative lines, the pentimenti, where the artist has tried again and again to capture the essence of the scene before him. I can imagine Breitner standing there, perhaps on a cold, blustery day, quickly sketching the buildings, the boats, the people hurrying by. The lines are spare, economical, but they convey so much. You can almost feel the energy of the city, the hustle and bustle of daily life. See how the vertical lines suggest the height of the buildings, while the horizontal strokes evoke the movement of the water. It's a beautiful example of how drawing can be both a record of a place and a reflection of an artist's inner world. The sketch is a quiet reminder of the power of observation, and of the simple act of putting pencil to paper.