Figuurstudie 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this graphite drawing in a sketchbook, with a soft, searching line that feels like it's feeling its way around a form. It’s so minimal it almost vanishes. I can imagine Breitner quickly sketching this figure—maybe in a cafe, or on the train. It makes me think about the practice of drawing—it's so immediate, like thinking with your hand. The artist captures only what is essential: the curve of the nose, the set of the jaw. What I love about this sketch is its incompleteness. It reminds me that art doesn't always have to be polished. Sometimes the most interesting things are the first impulses, the raw gestures. It feels intimate, like a glimpse into the artist’s private world.