Boog c. 1903

This is a graphite sketch by George Hendrik Breitner, made in the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century. It’s a preliminary drawing for a "boog," or arch, that likely formed part of a larger urban composition. In Breitner’s time, Dutch artists were keenly interested in depicting modern city life. This required a move away from romantic landscapes and posed portraits, towards capturing fleeting moments in an unembellished style. The sketch is thus a documentary record, a quick notation made on the spot rather than a carefully planned composition. To fully appreciate this, consider the institutional context. Breitner, like many artists, frequented the city in search of subject matter. This sketch may have been preparatory work towards a larger painting that was expected to have public appeal in a gallery or museum. By studying Breitner’s sketches alongside his finished works, and by understanding the art market of his time, we can appreciate the ways that artists mediated between social life and institutional expectations.