Studieblad met een oog, een neus en een hoed 1886 - 1908

George Hendrik Breitner captured this study sheet with graphite. Observe how Breitner isolates individual features—an eye, a nose, a hat—as if dissecting the human form. Each element, rendered with a few swift strokes, carries its own weight. Consider the hat, a seemingly simple object, yet historically laden with meaning. Across cultures and eras, hats have signified status, profession, and identity. In earlier times, a hat might denote nobility or religious affiliation. Now, think of the eye. Throughout art history, the eye is a powerful symbol, a window to the soul. Here, detached and alone, it becomes an object of intense scrutiny. It evokes the all-seeing eye in religious iconography, representing divine omniscience. It could also echo the Cyclops, an ancient symbol of primal power and flawed vision. It also hints at the psychological complexity of perception, hinting at the subconscious processes at play. Thus, these isolated features trigger a non-linear, cyclical progression, resurfacing and evolving with different meanings across history.