Gezicht op het Rokin (Beursstraat) te Amsterdam met paard-en-wagen 1907

George Hendrik Breitner created this drawing, "Gezicht op het Rokin," using a graphite pencil to capture a view of Amsterdam’s Rokin. The sketch is divided, with the left side rendered in delicate, faded lines, and the right in stark, bold strokes. This contrast creates a dynamic tension, evoking a sense of fleeting observation. Breitner’s piece challenges the traditional notion of a finished drawing. The left side’s ephemeral quality destabilizes the right side's solidity. The city scene is depicted through lines that do not so much define as suggest forms, disrupting conventional artistic representation and challenging the viewer to engage in the act of construction. The juxtaposition of vague and distinct marks invites us to question the nature of perception and reality. It underscores that what we see is always a construct, open to interpretation. Breitner uses the inherent qualities of graphite to convey not just an image, but an idea about how we perceive and represent our world.