Studieblad, mogelijk met armen 1886 - 1923

This sketchbook page was made by George Hendrik Breitner at an unknown date, and you can find it at the Rijksmuseum. I love the vulnerability of sketchbook drawings, they give you such intimate access to an artist’s process. You can see him working through ideas in charcoal, trying to nail down the arm, the shoulder, the line of a back. There's a clear economy here, with each stroke having to count. The pressure is on to catch something essential. Look at the assuredness of the lines. You can feel Breitner’s confidence, but also the labor of observing and transcribing what he sees. It makes me wonder what his studio was like, if he was alone, what he was thinking about while making these drawings. What kind of music did he listen to? When I look at works like this, I feel like I’m in dialogue with other artists, sharing our questions and struggles, but also our breakthroughs.