Man op een fiets, op de rug gezien c. 1903

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a man on a bicycle from behind. The pencil on paper technique is immediate, and the lines are rapidly applied. The drawing, with its textural qualities of graphite on fibrous paper, is not about high art ideals, but about everyday life. The bicycle itself is important. Its emergence in the late 19th century was deeply intertwined with the industrial revolution. The bicycle democratized mobility, enabling ordinary people to travel distances previously unimaginable. Breitner’s sketch captures this sense of modernity. The labor involved here is not in the making of the drawing, which is minimal, but implied in the depicted subject. The working man, now able to traverse the city with new ease. This challenges distinctions between fine art and the socio-economic realities of the time. By focusing on the materials and social context, we gain a richer understanding of Breitner’s work.