Gebouw 1883

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a building with graphite on paper. The initial impression is its dark and heavy quality. Breitner has chosen a humble material – graphite – for this cityscape, which is fitting because it is a commonplace, industrial material. You can almost feel the artist rapidly shading the paper, building up the image from a series of gestural marks. The tonal range achieved with this simple material is remarkable. Breitner coaxes a range of grays from the graphite, suggesting the urban atmosphere of the industrializing city, which Breitner intently explored, turning away from traditional artistic subjects. The quick, sketch-like quality suggests the artist sought to capture a fleeting moment in a rapidly changing world. Paying attention to the materials and the ways in which an artist works with them helps us understand this piece as more than just a sketch, but as a social document and act of witnessing.