Gezicht op schepen bij de Haarlemmerpoort te Amsterdam c. 1906 - 1923

This sketch of ships near the Haarlemmerpoort in Amsterdam by George Hendrik Breitner, feels like it was made on the fly. The gestural marks are all jumbled up, like the artist was trying to capture the scene quickly, before the light changed or the ships sailed away. It's all in graphite, which keeps the values close, and makes it feel intimate, like we're looking at something private. I can imagine Breitner standing there, charcoal in hand, trying to make sense of the chaos of the harbor. What was he thinking? Was he trying to capture the essence of Amsterdam, or just a fleeting moment in time? Maybe he was thinking of other artists who had captured similar scenes, and how he could put his own spin on it. The thick, dark lines on the right side of the sketch feel particularly expressive to me. They're almost like a signature, a way of saying, "This is how I see the world." They suggest a kind of energy and movement that is really exciting. Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring each other. This sketch reminds us that painting isn't about capturing a perfect image, but rather about exploring the world in all its messy, ambiguous glory.