Romp van de Venus van Milo c. 1873 - 1886

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of the torso of the Venus de Milo in graphite. The use of graphite on paper is a fairly straightforward, utilitarian method of image making, especially when we compare it to the original marble sculpture of the Venus. Breitner uses hatched and smudged lines to depict the torso, relying on simple lines to convey the subject’s form and volume. While the Venus de Milo is a sculpture made through laborious subtractive techniques like carving and chiseling, Breitner’s hand-drawn sketch is built through quick, additive gestures. His application is quite economical. Graphite is a readily available material, and the paper size implies that it was a casual exercise, rather than an attempt to render the sculpture in loving detail. Breitner’s process challenges the traditional hierarchy between high art and craft, highlighting the labor and materials involved in art making.