Vrouw en kind bij een doorgang c. 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made "Woman and Child in a Passage" as a pencil sketch on paper. It's like glimpsing into the artist's mind at work, a raw, unfiltered burst of creativity. The marks are so tentative, almost searching, giving us a sense of the artist circling his subject, trying to capture its essence. The texture of the paper peeks through, reminding us of the physical act of drawing, the hand moving across the surface. I am drawn to the way the lines around the head are so loose and free, full of energy and movement, somehow managing to convey depth and emotion. This piece reminds me of other sketchbooks I've seen, quick impressions which were not necessarily intended for public view, but which nevertheless offer a valuable insight into the artist’s thinking. Like a jam session between musicians, it’s about exploration and experimentation, a dance between intention and accident.