Straat met figuren 1865 - 1913

Bramine Hubrecht created this sketch of a street with figures using graphite on paper. The street scene is composed through light and dark contrasts created by varying densities of graphite markings, rather than distinct lines. Notice how Hubrecht uses the bare minimum of lines to suggest the shape of buildings and figures. Light is evoked through the absence of graphite, allowing the white of the paper to define the brighter areas, while the darker areas are hatched with dense concentrations of graphite. This imbues the scene with a sense of fleeting observation, capturing a transient moment. Hubrecht seems less concerned with a realistic depiction and more with capturing the essence of the scene’s structure. This method aligns the drawing with a semiotic approach, where forms are reduced to signs, communicating beyond literal representation. The street, the buildings, the figures, are all presented as suggestions. The artwork thus becomes an invitation for the viewer to interpret and complete the scene.