Staande vrouw, mogelijk naast een dier 1884 - 1886

Curator: This sketch, rendered in pencil, comes from the hand of George Hendrik Breitner. It's entitled "Standing Woman, possibly Next to an Animal" and dates to the period between 1884 and 1886. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first thought? Vulnerability. It feels fleeting, captured in hushed tones, like a whispered secret. Curator: Breitner was very much involved in representing the city and everyday life, and this drawing gives an impression of capturing a private moment, perhaps during a break. How do you see those themes represented here? Editor: The standing woman, shrouded in shadow and line, evokes a sense of inner reflection. And it may be simply a projection on my part, but that enigmatic "animal" adds an ancient dimension to this very urban sketch. Companionship? Burden? Its lack of clarity opens so many interpretive avenues. Curator: He often made quick studies in preparation for paintings. He worked a lot with photography at this point too, and was fascinated by the possibilities of these relatively new media. This drawing shares a snapshot aesthetic with many of his photographs, catching something very particular about the atmosphere of Amsterdam at that time. The image really becomes one of fleeting impression, capturing the immediacy and spontaneity that Realism often aspired to. Editor: Yes, "snapshot" is absolutely right. It carries a kind of unvarnished truth. Its rawness strips away the pretenses of formal portraiture. Even unfinished, the pencil strokes breathe with life and a hint of melancholy, maybe reflecting the societal position of a "common" woman. Curator: It is precisely this willingness to depart from academic rigor that makes the work stand apart. It shows the developments underway in art at the end of the 19th Century, the ways artists were starting to portray the city and its inhabitants. Editor: Looking at this sketch has definitely changed my perception, it makes me think differently about the position of women within the cityscape, at that moment of societal shift. Curator: It’s always rewarding to reflect on how social dynamics influence even preliminary works of art.