Stadsgezicht c. 1915 - 1916

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s ‘Stadsgezicht’ – a city view – rendered in pencil on paper, and held at the Rijksmuseum. I love the way this sketch captures a moment of seeing. It's like Breitner’s hand is just keeping up with his gaze. The lines are tentative, searching, almost like he’s feeling his way through the scene. Look at the top of the building: the marks are so light, so provisional. It makes me think about the act of drawing as a process of discovery, of trying to pin down something fleeting and ephemeral. It reminds me of some of Cy Twombly's drawings. Both artists share this incredible ability to convey a sense of movement, of the world in flux, with just a few lines. They remind us that art isn't about capturing a fixed reality, but about embracing the ambiguity and uncertainty of experience.