Architectuurstudie 1897

George Hendrik Breitner made this architectural study using graphite on paper. It’s a simple combination of readily available materials, and the drawing shows the bare minimum of labor: a rapidly captured impression. Now, many would consider such a sketch a minor work, something dashed off in preparation for a painting or other more resolved composition. But that is precisely why it can be so revealing. The rapid lines are a direct record of Breitner’s attention, and the pressure of his pencil on the page. It may also point to the realities of architectural labor. The drawing shows us arches and columns, probably made of laboriously hewn stone. So while Breitner’s drawing might not appear particularly laborious, it directs our attention to the labor inherent in the built environment itself. The most unassuming of sketches can open our eyes to the ways that materials, making, and context intertwine.