Zittende vrouw met ontbloot bovenlijf c. 1886 - 1923

This drawing of a seated woman with a bare torso was made by George Hendrik Breitner, probably in his studio. You can tell that the artist has been circling his subject, trying to get it down, searching with his pencil. I can imagine him, his hand moving quickly, trying to capture the way the light falls across her body. I love the simplicity of the marks, the way the lines curve and intersect to create form. Notice the lines that define her back and shoulders, the way they seem to flow into each other. The cross hatching suggests the shadows, the roundness of her breasts, the folds of her skin. It’s like he’s not just drawing what he sees, but what he feels. In a way, all artists are having conversations with other artists, across time, inspiring one another. What do you think?