Studies van een zittende vrouw Possibly 1883 - 1886

This sketch, "Studies van een zittende vrouw" by George Hendrik Breitner, presents a series of rapidly rendered figures in graphite on paper. The composition is fragmentary, as each view offers a different perspective on the sitter. The lines are spare, evoking a sense of immediacy and provisionality. The loose and gestural quality destabilizes traditional notions of portraiture. Instead of a complete likeness, Breitner captures fleeting impressions, focusing on posture and form. The figure is deconstructed into its essential lines, almost like a structural framework. In the context of late 19th-century art, this approach aligns with a broader interest in perceptual experience and the breakdown of academic conventions. Breitner seems less concerned with the sitter’s identity and more with the dynamics of seeing and representing. The sketch’s open-ended nature encourages us to consider the act of looking, reminding us that art exists in a state of constant re-evaluation.