Soldaat bij twee paarden c. 1885 - 1898

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch, ‘Soldier with two horses’, with graphite on paper. The lines are quickly drawn, giving us the impression of a fleeting moment captured. Look at how Breitner uses the most economic of means to describe the scene. We get the sense of the soldier's posture, the weight of the animals, and the overall atmosphere with a minimal amount of marks. Interestingly, the paper itself also plays a significant role. It is lightweight and humble, carrying only the barest trace of labor. In that respect, the drawing is an implicit commentary on class. Here, the lives of working-class soldiers are caught on a cheap surface, as opposed to being idealized with grand oil paintings. Breitner’s drawing challenges traditional hierarchies, where the medium and the subject matter are deeply intertwined with social and economic realities.