Zittende vrouw met hoed 1895

George Hendrik Breitner created "Zittende vrouw met hoed," a drawing currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. Using rapid strokes of graphite pencil on paper, the artist sketches a seated woman in a hat, evoking a sense of fleeting observation. The composition is divided into distinct zones. The dark, dense shading that defines the figure sharply contrasts with the lighter, sketchier background, drawing our eye to the subject. To the right, a second sketch is barely visible, indicating a scene within a scene. The woman's form is constructed with an economy of line and tone, rendering details secondary to overall impression. Breitner's sketch destabilizes established conventions of portraiture. The work captures a transient moment, emphasizing the act of seeing over the desire to produce a finished piece. The artist engages with the modernist concern of portraying the experiential reality of urban life. This notion suggests that meaning is not fixed but always in process.