Gezicht op een aanlegplaats voor boten 1907 - 1909

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a boat landing, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century, with pencil on paper. It's all about the movement of the hand, isn't it? The casual, almost careless way the lines describe the scene. Look at the texture; the paper has a smooth surface, but the pencil work gives it depth. See how he uses the pencil to build up the tones and create shadows? It’s not just about depicting what’s there, but about creating a feeling. There's a spot on the left side where the lines get really dense and tangled - a knot that sort of grounds the whole image. Breitner, like Degas, was interested in the everyday, and in capturing a sense of immediacy. This sketch feels like a moment caught on the fly, a fleeting glimpse of a working harbor, and a testament to the idea that a work of art can be both unfinished and complete at the same time.