Studies van een vrouw 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made these studies of a woman with pencil on paper. Look at these delicate, tentative lines—you can really see Breitner thinking, feeling his way through the forms. He’s mapping her face, searching for some kind of truth. I like to imagine him quickly capturing what he sees, maybe trying to nail down something fleeting. What was she like, I wonder? What were they talking about? Was she sitting patiently, or was she restless? The upper sketch is like a ghost of the lower. The economy of line is also very striking. This piece reminds me of other artists like Degas who were obsessed with capturing movement and gesture in their drawings. It’s all about the artist’s hand and eye working together in this beautiful, spontaneous dance. It shows how artists are constantly in dialogue with each other, building on each other’s ideas and insights.