Paard-en-wagen voor gebouwen en een soldaat, mogelijk een artillerist 1884 - 1886

This undated sketch by George Hendrik Breitner, housed in the Rijksmuseum, presents a fragmented urban scene rendered with rapid, gestural charcoal lines. The eye is drawn to the dynamic interplay between the structured forms of buildings and the implied movement of a horse-drawn carriage and a standing figure. The overall effect is one of transient energy, capturing a fleeting moment of urban life. Breitner's use of line is particularly striking; it's not about precise representation but more about capturing the essence of form and spatial relationships. The sketch has an unfinished quality, reflecting the artist's interest in the immediacy of perception. The semiotic reading suggests a breakdown of traditional representation in favor of a more subjective, experiential mode. This approach anticipates later modernist explorations of space, perception, and the subjective experience of the modern world. Ultimately, this drawing serves not just as a study but as an investigation into how the very act of sketching can destabilize fixed meanings and open up new ways of seeing and interpreting the world around us.