Figuurstudie 1886 - 1923

This is a study of a figure, made by George Hendrik Breitner, and currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. I love seeing the bones of a drawing, the initial marks where the artist is just feeling out the form. Here, the graphite is so light it’s almost a whisper. It reminds me that drawing is a process of searching. You can almost feel Breitner's hand moving tentatively across the page, trying to capture the essence of the figure with just a few lines. It's like he's mapping out the landscape of the body. Look at the shorthand he uses for the eye. Just a tiny circle. And the way the nose is suggested with a single, confident stroke. This piece has a kinship with some of Matisse's line drawings, where he manages to convey so much with so little. It’s a beautiful reminder that art doesn’t always need to shout. Sometimes the quietest voices are the most powerful.