Twee mannen achter een paard c. 1903

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing of two men behind a horse with pencil on paper. You can really see the hand of the artist in this one, it is such a quick sketch. The sparse lines, smudges, and erasures show us how the artwork came into being through trial and error. I can imagine Breitner standing on the side of the road, holding his sketchbook and quickly trying to capture the scene. He probably didn’t have much time to dwell on the details, instead capturing just the essence of the moment. The physicality of the medium is crucial here. The pencil marks and the paper's texture create a sense of immediacy and intimacy. Look at how the figures are outlined with the bare minimum of lines, creating a sense of movement. The ambiguity in the drawing opens a space of imagination around the artwork. This sketch relates to other drawings by Breitner but also to other artists working in the impressionist era. Artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.