Stadsgezicht Possibly 1907 - 1911

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s charcoal sketch, "Stadsgezicht," a city scene, captured with an energy that feels both fleeting and firm. I can almost feel Breitner’s hand moving across the paper, deciding which lines to commit to and which to leave as suggestions. The charcoal isn’t blended smoothly; instead, each mark feels deliberate, building up the image piece by piece, like constructing a memory. I can imagine him, out on the street, quickly trying to capture a scene before it vanished. Look at the way he's used hatching to create depth and shadow; the lines aren't just descriptive, they're expressive. I imagine Breitner thinking about what parts of the scene needed to be solid, and what could be left more open. It reminds me of some of Manet's sketches, where the essence of a figure is captured with just a few bold strokes. This drawing, in all its raw immediacy, reminds us that sometimes, the sketch can be as powerful as the finished piece.