Gezicht op de Prinsengracht te Amsterdam 1886 - 1923

This sketch of the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam was made by George Hendrik Breitner sometime between 1857 and 1923. It looks like it's been drawn with graphite on paper. There’s something so immediate and raw about Breitner’s gestures here; you can imagine him quickly capturing the scene. It's like he's trying to freeze a moment in time, those boats, the buildings – all just a blur of lines and shapes. I can see him, squinting a little, trying to capture the light reflecting on the water. It reminds me of my own process – that desire to get something down fast before it disappears. It makes you think about the fleeting nature of life, and painting as this attempt to hold onto something. Artists are always looking at each other's work, riffing, copying, and arguing with what came before.