Studie c. 1912

George Hendrik Breitner made this study on paper at an unknown date, and I can really imagine him at work. There’s a kind of tentative energy here, a searching for form. The graphite lines are light, almost like whispers on the page, except for a couple of more insistent marks in ink. I imagine Breitner making this outside, maybe in a park, quickly capturing the essence of a scene. There’s an immediacy to the work, as though he wants to grab something before it disappears. I know that feeling so well! That little zig-zag of blue crayon – what’s that about? It’s so playful and out of nowhere, a burst of spontaneity, but also, maybe a little nervous tic? I see echoes of other artists here, like Degas, with that quick, impressionistic touch. It’s like all artists are in this big conversation through time, riffing off each other. To me, this study isn’t just a record of something seen; it’s a record of someone seeing, thinking, and feeling.