Paard met tuig c. 1882 - 1912

Editor: This is *Paard met tuig*, or *Horse with Harness*, by George Hendrik Breitner, probably made sometime between 1882 and 1912. It’s a pencil sketch on toned paper. It looks very… ephemeral, like a thought barely captured. What jumps out at you when you see it? Curator: Ephemeral is a perfect word! For me, it’s like stumbling upon a secret. You know, artists’ sketchbooks are like diaries— private thoughts made visible. The lightness of the pencil, the quick, almost frantic lines... it hints at a moment Breitner wanted to seize, the essence of the horse rather than every detail. It feels raw, doesn’t it? Almost vulnerable. I wonder, does the sketch’s incompleteness bother you, or does it add to its charm? Editor: I think it's charming! There’s a kind of energy in the unfinished quality. You can almost see the artist figuring it out as he goes. But I am curious about the horse...it seems like an odd subject choice. Curator: Perhaps not so odd! Breitner was fascinated by the working life of Amsterdam. Horses were everywhere – pulling carts, trams, shaping the city’s rhythm. Maybe he saw a certain beauty, a kind of nobility, in this animal that others overlooked. Think about it – what does this fleeting glimpse tell us about Breitner’s Amsterdam? Editor: I guess I hadn't thought of it that way. So, it's not just a horse; it's a window into a lost world? Curator: Exactly! It’s a fragment, yes, but a powerful one. Art often resides in what isn’t said, or what isn't completely shown. Editor: I agree. It's pretty special when you think about what lies behind those quickly sketched lines! Thanks for pointing that out.