Gezicht op het Rokin te Amsterdam, ter hoogte van het Spui c. 1891 - 1894

This is a quick sketch of the Rokin in Amsterdam, near the Spui, made by George Hendrik Breitner using pencil on paper. The immediacy of the pencil medium allowed Breitner to rapidly capture the urban scene. The sketch is raw and energetic, reflecting the dynamism of city life. You can almost feel the pulse of Amsterdam through the rapid, linear marks and erasures. This is a great example of how the qualities of a simple material like pencil—its capacity for both precision and expressive gesture—can be harnessed to capture a moment in time. Unlike formal paintings, this sketch provides insight into Breitner's working process, his method of observing and documenting the world around him. It challenges our typical understanding of art as something precious and highly finished, highlighting the value of preparatory work in the broader context of artistic creation.