Figuurstudies c. 1882

George Hendrik Breitner made these figure studies with a graphite pencil on paper. Breitner was working in Amsterdam at the end of the 19th century, a time when artists were eager to break away from academic traditions. Rather than producing highly finished works for the Salon, some artists like Breitner were more interested in the immediacy of the sketch. This allowed them to capture fleeting moments of everyday life. Here, we see an interest in the quick capture of form and movement. The sparse lines suggest a figure in motion, perhaps caught in a public space. This kind of informal approach was a radical departure from the conventions of the time, reflecting a broader shift towards realism and a focus on modern urban life. To fully understand Breitner's work, we can look at the institutional context of art training at the time, and his relationship to movements like Impressionism. Studying his drawings gives us a glimpse into the artist's process and the changing role of art in society.