Figuurstudies 1880 - 1882

Curator: Here we have "Figuurstudies," or "Figure Studies," a graphite drawing dating from 1880 to 1882, by George Hendrik Breitner, currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Ah, the feeling I get immediately is one of being a fly on the wall, you know? A hidden observer, glimpsing figures caught in private moments. It's beautifully intimate. Curator: That's insightful. Breitner was deeply engaged with capturing everyday life in Amsterdam. These sketches, very much in the realist style, offer candid observations, free from the constraints of formal portraiture. One could suggest his dedication to documenting reality reflects a commitment to making visible those often marginalized or ignored by dominant narratives. Editor: Absolutely. The looseness of the lines adds to that feeling. They aren't posed; there’s movement and suggestion rather than concrete definition. It feels like a snapshot from memory, raw and unedited. You can almost smell the damp wool coats and hear the clatter of hooves on the cobblestones. Curator: Interesting, you jump straight to the multi-sensory feeling that one gets with this image, instead of focusing on details. He did use photography quite extensively as source material. We also have to acknowledge that his work has been historically critiqued by some, and celebrated by others, because there are valid concerns about objectification, power, and gender present in his depictions of working-class women. Editor: It makes you wonder what stories are hidden in these figures, right? Not just Breitner’s story, but their stories. Curator: Precisely. Their socio-economic circumstances, the unseen labor... Art enables these narratives. Looking closely and critically acknowledges them. Editor: In the end, that little book holds an entire world, it holds countless other voices trapped within a space, if only we pay close attention. Curator: Well said, that kind of attentive regard for history's voices should be everyone's first intention.