Studie, abklatsch van een krijttekening 1912

This chalk drawing by George Hendrik Breitner feels like a whisper from the past. Look at those soft, smudged lines. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page, searching for form within the shadows. I imagine Breitner in his studio, maybe late in the day, light fading, trying to capture a fleeting impression. What was he thinking as he pressed the chalk to paper? What did he want to remember? The grey is gentle. The texture is built of tiny movements. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's sketchbooks, or even some of Jasper Johns' quieter drawings. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to shout, sometimes the most profound statements are made in the softest tones. Artists are always in conversation with one another, aren't they? Drawing is a kind of embodied expression.