Figuurstudies c. 1903

Here's 'Figuurstudies', a page of figure studies made by George Hendrik Breitner, sometime between 1870 and 1923, probably with graphite in a sketchbook. Look at these lines! They remind me of Cy Twombly’s nervous scribbles, except with a practical intent, like the artist is trying to work something out, like how a body can be described with just a few gestures. I’m imagining Breitner sketching away in a café, quickly capturing these figures from life. I wonder, what was he thinking as he made these studies? Was he looking for ways to simplify the form? I'm drawn to the way he’s captured the essence of the figures with such economy and, in turn, how this connects with the work of other artists, past and present, who are also experimenting with the relationship between abstraction and figuration. Artists are always in conversation, you know? This piece is a reminder that painting, in all its forms, is an ongoing exploration.