Looiersgracht te Amsterdam, gezien vanuit de Marnixstraat 1907

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of Looiersgracht in Amsterdam with graphite on paper. It's all about gesture, and the attitude of the artist, working on location, quickly capturing what they see. The texture of the paper and the varying pressure of the graphite create a range of light and dark tones. See how some lines are thick and bold, while others are light and almost disappear? It's like Breitner is thinking out loud, deciding what to keep and what to erase. Look at the way he's massed the graphite together in areas to suggest shadow and form. The overall effect is one of immediacy, of catching a fleeting moment. This sketch reminds me of drawings by Van Gogh, both in the subject matter of urban architecture, and in the freedom and expressiveness of the mark-making. And just like with Van Gogh, there's a real sense of intimacy in Breitner’s work, you feel as if you're right there with the artist, watching the city come to life on the page.