Studie, mogelijk van een bootonderdeel c. 1909

Curator: Immediately, I am drawn to its quietness. There's something very intimate about the soft pencil strokes on this toned paper. Editor: We're looking at a pencil drawing by George Hendrik Breitner, dating back to around 1909. It's titled "Studie, mogelijk van een bootonderdeel," which translates to "Study, possibly of a boat part," and it’s currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Curator: "Boat part," huh? Interesting. I see these raw, almost industrial shapes, but the hand of the artist softens everything. The textures achieved simply through pencil pressure and the subtle grey paper it is sketched on provide such depth and dimensionality, particularly for what is clearly an under drawing. I want to consider the specific pencil itself—the level of graphite, where it was sourced... Editor: And I wonder, within the context of the time, if such sketches were seen merely as preparatory or if they possessed an intrinsic value for Breitner and his audience? How would this piece have been viewed outside the frame of the established art institutions? Curator: It’s a fascinating insight into the labor of art making. These materials, the paper, the pencil lead; we have the means of production here. How readily available would these items be? To what extent could Breitner take a high level of quality for granted, in a country undergoing tremendous upheaval industrially? This exploration and visible pencil work humanizes the making process; that simple implement connecting the artist's idea directly to our own experience in front of this drawing. Editor: Exactly. Think about the Dutch shipbuilding industry during that period. This sketch, however humble, speaks to that economic and industrial history and perhaps was influenced by the proliferation of shipyards and docks in the port. This gives an everyday insight of working environments available for most of the public during that time. Curator: Right, something that also asks us to reconsider art production alongside other modes of skilled manufacturing. Editor: Agreed. There's a beauty in the utility of this piece, captured so simply with pencil on paper. Curator: For sure. A reminder of the value in the everyday, both in art and industry.