Figuur bij een machine of ketel 1896 - 1897

This 1896-1897 sketch by Dutch painter George Hendrik Breitner, titled "Figuur bij een machine of ketel," is a quick rendering of a figure standing beside a machine. The drawing, housed in the Rijksmuseum, is characteristic of Breitner's expressive style and his fascination with the burgeoning industrialization of the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century. The loose, gestural lines capture the dynamism of both the figure and the machine, hinting at the artist's interest in depicting the energy and movement of modern life.