Bomen en een vrouw, in profiel Possibly 1881 - 1886

George Hendrik Breitner created this sketch, "Trees and a Woman, in Profile," using pencil on paper. The composition is immediately striking for its juxtaposition of natural and human forms, rendered with an economy of line. The skeletal trees, depicted with wiry strokes, dominate the upper portion, their branches reaching in a network of lines. Below, the profile of a woman emerges, her features lightly sketched. This arrangement destabilizes traditional portraiture, merging the figure with the landscape. Breitner's use of line is particularly compelling. The deliberate and sparse strokes capture the essence of the forms, blurring the boundaries between nature and representation. The sketch invites us to contemplate the relationship between the human figure and its environment. This interplay challenges fixed perspectives and encourages a more fluid understanding of space and form, reflecting a modern sensibility towards perception.