Aangespannen paard 1912 - 1919

George Hendrik Breitner made this quick drawing of a harnessed horse, sometime between 1874 and 1923, using graphite on paper. Imagine him with a sketchbook and pencil, rapidly trying to capture the fleeting image of the horse. There's something beautifully unresolved about this sketch, a real sense of a moment captured on the fly. I sympathize with Breitner trying to capture a restless subject, I can imagine him wanting to catch the tension in the reins and the muscles of the horse ready to bolt. The lines are sparse and quick, with some areas more defined than others. It's like he was focusing on certain details and letting others fade into suggestion. Look at how the lines around the head and harness are darker and more defined, giving those areas weight and presence. I like how the drawing suggests movement and energy through the light and gestural quality of the marks. It's a bit like looking at a Cy Twombly drawing – they share that sketchy, immediate quality. Artists are always learning from each other, aren't they?