Duinlandschap en een hoofd, in profiel 1880 - 1882

This sketch, titled "Duinlandschap en een hoofd, in profiel," or "Dune Landscape and a Head, in Profile" was created by George Hendrik Breitner. It is composed with graphite on paper. What I find most compelling about a drawing like this is that it gives us such direct access to the artist's thought process. There is an immediacy that is captured through the medium of graphite. The texture of the paper and its tone also contribute to the atmospheric quality of the drawing. The artist is using fairly conventional tools and processes. Graphite is a readily available and relatively inexpensive material. The quality of the sketch derives from the hand and eye of the artist. As such, the value lies less in the rarity of the materials themselves, and more in the labor and skill employed in the artistic process. Ultimately, the sketch invites us to reflect on the relationship between observation, skill, and artistic expression. It challenges us to look beyond the surface of a work and appreciate the social and historical context in which it was created.