Gezicht op de Prinsengracht te Amsterdam, ter hoogte van de Lauriergracht c. 1893s - 1903s

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam with pencil on paper, and it’s like a visual note. Imagine Breitner, standing there, maybe a little chilly, quickly sketching the scene before him. There's a freedom in these lines, a shorthand for the buildings and boats, the water and sky. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, in its own way, that feeling of capturing a moment with just the essential marks. I wonder if he intended to develop it further, or if it was enough to just get the gist of the place down. Maybe he was thinking about how the light hit the water, or the way the buildings seemed to lean into each other. It’s these kinds of sketches that remind me that art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and ways of seeing. It’s not about perfection, but about trying to understand something, to feel something, and to share it with others.