Studie, mogelijk van een landschap met bebouwing Possibly 1881 - 1883

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s sketch, possibly of a landscape with buildings. It captures a raw, energetic burst of urban life with gestural lines. Look closely at the recurring motif of vertical lines topped with circular forms: the basic architecture of this civilization. Consider the columns of ancient Greece or the towering spires of Gothic cathedrals. These are not mere structural elements but also symbols that link heaven and earth, the sacred and the profane. This primal symbol persists in modern skyscrapers, each a testament to human ambition and ingenuity. Yet, each one is a phallic symbol, too, that plunges deep into our collective consciousness, embodying humanity’s perpetual striving. What feelings does this image evoke in you: a sense of aspiration, the weight of history, or perhaps the dizzying pace of progress?