Gebouwen aan de Nieuwendijk te Amsterdam c. 1902

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of buildings on the Nieuwendijk in Amsterdam. Just look at those lines go! The nervous energy in this sketch gives the impression of a scene constantly in motion. I can almost imagine the artist quickly capturing the bustling urban environment with his pencil. I'm sure that he would have been thinking about how to convey the essence of this busy location. Notice the repetitive vertical lines, which imply the height of the buildings, and the short horizontal strokes, suggesting a possible bridge, or boats down below. I love the texture of the paper itself—that slightly off-white tone that contrasts with the pale grey of the graphite. Breitner's sketch resonates with other artists who have been interested in the urban experience and the process of drawing as a way of understanding the world around us. Each artist builds upon the ideas and techniques of those who came before, contributing to an ongoing conversation across time and space. By embracing uncertainty, artists leave space for interpretation and new ways of seeing.