Figuur op een boot c. 1903

This image is a sketch of someone on a boat made by George Hendrik Breitner. I imagine Breitner on a boat with a sketchbook in his hand, quickly capturing the fleeting impression of a figure amidst the vastness of the water. I love these works on paper because they capture the movement of looking in real time, and show the artist considering different approaches and perspectives. It is almost as if the artist is thinking out loud. The lines are quick, energetic, and exploratory. It gives you the impression that the artist is thinking through the act of drawing. Notice the way he uses hatching to suggest form and volume, particularly in the figure's clothing, where the lines become more dense to create shadow. The composition feels immediate and intimate. The artist shares his thought processes with us. We can observe this ongoing conversation between looking and marking, and how, as painters, we often converse across time, inspiring each other's work.