Figuurstudie c. 1886 - 1923

This is a sketch by George Hendrik Breitner, resting in the Rijksmuseum; just a few strokes of graphite on paper and yet it suggests so much. The drawing has a wonderful fluidity, a sense of capturing a fleeting moment. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving quickly across the page, trying to keep up with the figure as they walk. The lines are loose and gestural, not at all precise, but they convey the weight and movement of the body so effectively. And look at that horizon line – a gentle, almost hesitant stroke that fades in and out of existence. It reminds me of some of Degas' drawings, where he's also trying to capture the body in motion. But there's something rawer and more immediate about Breitner's sketch. It feels like he's not trying to create a finished work of art, but simply trying to understand and record what he sees. And in that process, he creates something truly beautiful. It shows that art is an attempt, not a record.