Gezicht op boten aan het Damrak te Amsterdam c. 1903

This is George Hendrik Breitner's drawing of boats at Damrak in Amsterdam. Looking at those pencil lines, I can almost feel the scratch of the graphite on the paper. You can see how he’s quickly, intuitively, finding the shapes of the boats, the buildings, and the water. I imagine Breitner standing there, sketchbook in hand, trying to capture a sense of place. He probably wants to grab the essence of the harbour before the moment is gone. Maybe he had only a few minutes to spare. The lines are rough, kind of messy, but full of energy. There’s no attempt to pretty things up; it’s just pure observation. It makes me think of other artists who use drawing as a way to think, like Cy Twombly. These artists show us that sometimes the most powerful work comes from embracing imperfection and spontaneity. Drawing is a way to start a conversation, to be present with what’s in front of you. We all do it, in our own way.