Annotaties 1909

George Hendrik Breitner made this annotated sheet of paper, covered in marks, notes and sketches, sometime between 1857 and 1923. It's like a private language, full of ghostly traces and layered thoughts. The colour palette is muted, almost non-existent; a whisper of greys and blacks on aged paper. The lines are so casual, seemingly dashed off without a second thought. But you know, that's the thing about mark-making, isn't it? It's never really accidental, even the quick scribbles have intention. There's a dark smudge that could be anything, a face, a stain, an eclipse. It sits there, holding the space, anchoring the chaos of the other marks. This reminds me of Cy Twombly, but with a Dutch sensibility. It’s this idea of art as a conversation, an ongoing exchange. Breitner isn’t trying to give us answers, he’s inviting us to participate in the questions.