Gezicht op een straat in Amsterdam 1897

George Hendrik Breitner made this study of an Amsterdam street with graphite on paper. The loose application of graphite creates an interesting texture, capturing the starkness of the urban environment. Notice how the quick strokes define the buildings, giving us a sense of their architectural forms without precise detail. The choice of graphite as a medium is significant; its accessibility makes it a tool for preliminary studies, like this one, allowing artists to rapidly capture a scene or idea. Breitner’s gestural marks are a shorthand, and the study is very efficient, suggesting a modern, almost journalistic sensibility, more in line with the emerging field of photography than traditional painting. This approach reflects the changing pace of life in Amsterdam at the turn of the 20th century. Breitner’s drawing shows how an artist can use modest means, like graphite on paper, to explore urban life and challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and everyday observation.