Landschap met dieren 1883 - 1885

George Hendrik Breitner created this drawing, 'Landschap met dieren', using graphite on paper. The sketch gives us an intimate glimpse into the artist's process. We see a landscape in its most rudimentary form, captured through a delicate network of lines. The composition is bisected by a strong vertical stroke, perhaps suggesting a division in the landscape or a path. Notice how the sparse lines evoke shapes, possibly animals, rendered with a notable lack of detail, challenging our perception and categorization of form. Breitner's marks invite us to contemplate the essence of representation and the threshold between the abstract and the recognizable. The drawing embodies a structuralist approach, reducing the landscape to its most basic components. It compels us to reflect on how even minimal artistic gestures can convey a sense of place and being.