Figuurstudie 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing, Figuurstudie, using graphite on paper. The smudgy charcoal marks suggest the artist moved around the page, feeling out the form, a quick and ephemeral gesture. I bet Breitner was trying to capture a fleeting impression, something that resonated deeply with him at that moment. I can imagine Breitner in his studio, squinting at his model, charcoal in hand, lost in concentration. He’s trying to translate the three-dimensional world onto a flat surface. The marks are tentative, searching, almost like he's feeling his way through the dark. There is a real tenderness in the blurry, smudged quality of the graphite. It reminds me of the drawings of Paula Rego or even some of Degas’ pastels – artists who also captured the fragility and awkwardness of the human form. It's like artists are all in this ongoing conversation, riffing off each other's ideas and techniques across time. And, of course, there's no right or wrong answer – it’s just this constant exploration of possibilities and ways of seeing.