Gezicht op gebouwen, mogelijk in Amsterdam c. 1915 - 1916

George Hendrik Breitner sketched these buildings, possibly in Amsterdam, with pencil on paper. It's a simple sketch, not labored over, but direct. Look at the marks; they’re so economical. He’s not trying to give us every detail, just the essence of the buildings. The lines are thin, almost tentative in places, and the paper itself has a beautiful texture. It's a glimpse into Breitner’s process; it's about seeing, feeling, and quickly capturing a moment, a feeling. The way he draws the windows, just a few lines to suggest the shape, is really nice. And that slightly crooked line defining the roof on the left? That's what I love about sketches. The honesty of the mark, the imperfection. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, in the sense that it embraces the incomplete, hinting at the conversation art has across time. There are no fixed meanings, just possibilities.