Gezicht op gebouwen c. 1909

This is ‘Gezicht op gebouwen’ or ‘View of Buildings’ by George Hendrik Breitner, a pencil sketch on paper, which resides in the Rijksmuseum. I really love the tentative lines and layered marks in this sketch. It makes me think of how artmaking is an act of searching and discovery rather than simply representation. I can relate to this. There’s something deeply personal about how Breitner approaches the subject. It’s almost like he’s thinking out loud. He really shows you the underlying structure of the buildings, they're not just facades. Look closely at how he uses the varying pressure of the pencil to create areas of dark and light, adding depth to the composition. See that area on the left? It's like a flurry of activity, a concentrated burst of energy that anchors the whole piece. The use of line reminds me of Philip Guston, both artists who aren't afraid to show their process and leave things unresolved. In the end, it's the openness and ambiguity that makes this work so compelling.