Soldaten met karren en paarden 1872 - 1879

George Hendrik Breitner sketched these soldiers with carts and horses using graphite on paper. This choice of material is particularly interesting because of the immediacy it lends the scene. Graphite, in its raw form, is a mineral that embodies the geological processes of pressure and time, but here, its application is fleeting, almost ephemeral. The sketched lines capture the motion and energy of military life, yet the lightness of the graphite gives the scene a dreamlike quality. Breitner's technique is economical; each stroke serves to define form and movement, maximizing the expressive potential inherent in the material. The sketch appears effortless, yet it reflects the artist's skill and the countless hours of practice required to wield such a simple tool with such precision. It reminds us that even in the most seemingly straightforward artistic gestures, there's a deep engagement with both the medium and the subject matter.