Vrouwenhoofd 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a woman’s head with graphite on paper; it’s now here at the Rijksmuseum. You know, with just a few smudgy strokes, Breitner really gets to the heart of the matter. It's like he's feeling his way through the form, letting the charcoal lead him, and somehow, it all comes together. I bet he was thinking about all those other artists who drew women before him, trying to capture that elusive spark of life. You can almost feel him pressing down on the paper, making those lines darker, then lifting up, letting the light in. It's as if he’s building up the image from nothing, layer by layer. That sketchy quality is a part of the charm, you know? It’s like he’s inviting us into his process, showing us how a drawing comes into being, right before our eyes.