Soldaten 1887 - 1891

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing, Soldaten, using pencil on paper. The immediacy of the pencil sketch is striking. The lines are quick, capturing the essence of soldiers, perhaps in a moment of rest or preparation. The medium itself, pencil on paper, is a humble one, readily available and easily portable, perfect for capturing fleeting moments. But let's think about that paper. This isn't just any surface. Paper, by Breitner's time, was a mass-produced commodity, a product of industrialization and global trade. Consider the labor involved, from the harvesting of raw materials to the factory production of the paper itself, and the artist's hand. Ultimately, the combination of the artist's skilled hand and the industrial production of materials invites us to consider the complex relationship between art, labor, and the modern world. It reminds us that even the simplest sketch carries within it a network of social and economic forces.