Paard Possibly 1907 - 1911

This is a drawing of a horse by George Hendrik Breitner, made with pencil on paper, sometime between 1880 and 1923. Look at these marks! They are so raw and vulnerable. I can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page, trying to capture the essence of this beautiful creature, perhaps in a fleeting moment. It’s a tonal drawing – built with shades of grey and black -- where the artist is thinking in values. I wonder what Breitner was thinking as he made this drawing? Was he trying to understand the horse's anatomy, or was he simply captivated by its power and grace? Maybe he felt a connection with the animal. I love the quickness of the strokes, how the paper peeks through, and how the energy of the horse seems to jump right off the page. It reminds me of the work of other great horse painters like Gericault and Stubbs, all trying to capture the beauty and spirit of these incredible animals.