Gezicht in Amsterdam, mogelijk met de Amstelhof c. 1892 - 1923

This is a drawing by George Hendrik Breitner, probably made in Amsterdam with graphite on paper. The scene, maybe the Amstelhof, is rapidly captured, with a sense of immediacy. You can almost feel Breitner’s hand moving quickly across the page, trying to pin down the essence of the place. I can imagine him standing there, sketchbook in hand, feeling the pulse of the city, the light, the buildings pressing in on him… The lines are so active, crisscrossing and building up a sense of depth, but also a kind of chaos. It reminds me a little of Cy Twombly’s drawings, a similar kind of energy and restlessness. There’s a real sense of urgency here, of trying to capture something fleeting before it disappears. It feels like the artist is in conversation with the scene, responding and reacting in real-time, a kind of dance between eye, hand, and subject. It's this sense of the artist’s presence and engagement that makes it so compelling.