Twee schepen, mogelijk schuiten c. 1898 - 1914

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of two boats, perhaps barges, with graphite on paper. The speed of the marks really grabs me. It’s like he’s trying to capture the essence of the boats, not necessarily their exact form. I find myself focusing on the lines that define the hull of the boat. There’s a kind of impatient energy in those strokes, a real urgency to get the idea down before it floats away. The texture is almost scratchy, and it gives the impression of movement, like the boats are gently rocking on the water. Breitner was a contemporary of Van Gogh, and I see a similar commitment to documenting everyday life. The Dutch light, the industrial ports, the hustle and bustle. But while Van Gogh painted with a kind of tormented intensity, Breitner feels much more restrained. There’s a quiet realism in his work, a desire to show things as they are. You know, art's just an ongoing conversation.