Staande vrouw, op de rug gezien Possibly 1881 - 1883

George Hendrik Breitner sketched "Standing Woman, Seen From the Back" using graphite on paper. The drawing presents an initial sense of sparseness, defined by minimal lines and a composition that captures just the basic form of a standing woman. Breitner's economical use of line is fascinating here. The figure emerges from a series of quick, almost scribbled marks that are more suggestive than descriptive. These lines define the form but also convey a sense of movement and transience. The sketch invites questions about the nature of representation and the role of the artist’s hand in shaping perception. How do minimal lines and a monochromatic palette affect the viewer's interpretation? The drawing prompts us to consider the semiotics of the unfinished. It destabilizes the traditional notion of a completed artwork, suggesting instead that meaning can be found in the ephemeral and the incomplete. This idea reflects the broader modernist sentiment that values process and experimentation over finished perfection.