Studies en annotaties 1910

This is a page from a sketchbook by George Hendrik Breitner. You can see how the graphite markings are faint, almost ghost-like, which gives the impression of looking into the artist's mind as thoughts and images flicker across the page. The torn edge at the top of the page really emphasizes the fragility of the paper, a material that is susceptible to the ravages of time, just like memory. But it also seems so robust, like a palimpsest. The layers of marks and scribbles, half-legible notes and diagrams create a sense of depth and mystery. It is like a hidden, intimate conversation with the artist himself. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s sketchbooks, the way both artists use the page as a space for thinking through drawing and text, finding new ways to see and experience the world. There's a beautiful ambiguity in these works; they invite multiple interpretations rather than fixed meanings.