Gezicht op de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal te Antwerpen 1907 - 1909

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp on paper, probably en plein air. Look at the speed of the marks! The softness of the graphite on the page captures a quick impression of the cathedral, as if he just had to get it down before the light changed. I imagine Breitner, sketchbook in hand, quickly trying to capture the essence of the architectural forms and the fleeting light. It’s like a visual note, a shorthand for a more complex experience. The lines feel tentative, exploratory, like he’s feeling his way through the scene, deciding what to emphasize and what to leave out. You can almost see him squinting, trying to simplify the intricate details into a few essential lines. Think of other sketchers like Van Gogh and how they approached similar scenes. It’s this lineage, this conversation across time, that makes art so compelling. These artists teach each other how to see and, in turn, show us something new about the world.