Studies 1912 - 1919

Curator: This graphite drawing on paper is titled "Studies," created by George Hendrik Breitner sometime between 1912 and 1919. It's currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, a sketchbook page, huh? Feels so raw and immediate. Just some quickly jotted impressions, very minimal—almost like shorthand for something larger. A fleeting idea caught on paper. Curator: Exactly. Breitner was known for capturing the everyday life of Amsterdam. You know, the bustling streets, working-class people... scenes from modern urbanity. I'd wager this page offered an experiment that may or may not make the final painting. Editor: I see geometric patterns, but my brain wants to turn them into cityscapes. Like those little hatched lines, perhaps are suggestion of buildings or stacks? Curator: Precisely. These sketches offered Breitner the ability to engage with modern society and to provide artistic commentary on life in Amsterdam through everyday scenery, not heroic images, per se. Editor: It also reminds me of looking through an old journal. It has me wonder, "What was Breitner thinking? What was he planning?" There's a quietness here. It makes the audience play investigator and create meaning to such fleeting moments that could disappear in an instant. Curator: That element of interpretation certainly enriches the experience. Breitner, during the period of these drawings, moved into an increasingly independent artistic position, culminating during the first World War. "Studies" serves, I think, as an exemplary piece in his career of the shift towards a greater emphasis on drawing and a sense of simplicity. Editor: It also kind of liberates you, doesn't it? Seeing this reminds that art can be anything. It's freeing as an artist. Curator: And hopefully, in turn, such observation helps audiences perceive art differently as well. Editor: Agreed. Thank you!