Studie, mogelijk van een gebouw c. 1902 - 1914

George Hendrik Breitner made this study, possibly of a building, at an undetermined time with graphite on paper. Look at the nervous energy in these marks, like little seismographs recording a tremor! It's as if Breitner was trying to pin down something fleeting, a visual impression that threatened to vanish. I imagine him standing on a busy street, sketchbook in hand, his eyes darting from building to building, trying to capture the essence of the place. These aren't careful, precise renderings, but rather quick, intuitive gestures. A single line stands in for a towering facade, a few scribbles suggest a bustling crowd. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's work, that sense of capturing movement and energy through seemingly simple marks. It’s the kind of drawing that reminds you that all artists are in ongoing conversation with each other, across time, inspiring each other's creativity.