Twee ruiters 1881 - 1883

This is 'Two Riders', a drawing by George Hendrik Breitner. The sketch in graphite on paper is bisected by the gutter of the sketchbook. The riders are rendered in the barest of lines, a flurry of marks creating the impression of figures on horseback. Breitner's sketch destabilizes our expectations of traditional equestrian art. Instead of detailed depictions, Breitner offers us a glimpse into the fleeting moment, reminiscent of photography. This focus on the instantaneous disrupts traditional notions of representation, mirroring the rapid changes of modernity. The very act of sketching, with its emphasis on process over product, aligns with modernist values. Look closely at the lines. They are tentative, searching, and not descriptive. It’s in this quality that we can understand the essence of modernity as a shift in priorities to the ephemeral and subjective experience.