Sloterdijkbrug te Amsterdam c. 1909

George Hendrik Breitner drew this sketch of the Sloterdijk Bridge in Amsterdam, we think, in the late 19th or early 20th century. With just a few simple lines, the artist has captured something so solid, so architecturally present. I imagine Breitner standing there, squinting, maybe a little cold, quickly blocking in the basic shapes of the bridge. What was he thinking about as he rendered the archway and horizontal beams? Was he thinking about function or form, or how the light fell on those surfaces? It has the feeling of immediacy and a focus on the bones of the thing. It reminds me of other artists who’ve used drawing as a way to understand the world, like Cézanne with his apples or Agnes Martin with her grids. Breitner is participating in this ongoing conversation between artists across time, each trying to make sense of what they see and feel. It's a beautiful thing, this passing of ideas.