Studie, mogelijk van een meubel 1896 - 1897

This page from a sketchbook by George Hendrik Breitner presents a fascinating glimpse into the artist's process. Executed with graphite on paper, the work immediately strikes us with its layering of text, sketches, and notations on a pink ground. The composition is a dense network of lines and forms, evoking a sense of immediacy. Breitner's inscription of names alongside rudimentary sketches allows us to enter the artist's intellectual sphere. Here, the juxtaposition of architectural elements and botanical notes disrupts conventional artistic boundaries. The surface, covered in writing and overlaid with gestural strokes, suggests a mind actively grappling with ideas. Ultimately, the pink ground serves not merely as a background, but as an active component of the composition. This choice destabilizes the traditional figure-ground relationship and transforms the page into a field of exploration. Breitner invites us to reconsider the transient nature of thought and the porous boundaries between text and image.