Nieuwe Teertuinen te Amsterdam, gezien vanaf Prinseneiland Possibly 1907 - 1911

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of Nieuwe Teertuinen in Amsterdam, seen from Prinseneiland, with graphite on paper. The loose hatching, the sketchy lines, they aren't trying to hide the artistic process here. It's all about capturing a fleeting moment, a vibe, rather than aiming for photo-realism. Look at the way Breitner uses different pressures to create darker and lighter areas. Those thick, dark lines on the right side of the building give it weight, while the lighter strokes suggest distance and atmosphere. It's like he’s thinking through the form with his pencil. The vertical scribbles at the left of the composition add to this sense of an active and restless mark making, which is not interested in a refined finish. This piece reminds me a little of the landscape sketches by Van Gogh, where the rough, expressive lines convey a powerful emotional charge. Just like Van Gogh, Breitner shows that art is not about perfect representation, but about feeling and experience.