Paarden c. 1886 - 1923

Editor: Here we have "Paarden," or "Horses," a pencil drawing on paper by George Hendrik Breitner, dating sometime between 1886 and 1923. It's currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. I’m immediately struck by how fleeting it feels, like a memory just barely captured. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It feels like catching a glimpse of something wild, doesn’t it? Like horses captured in a dream before they vanish. Breitner, with his impressionistic leanings, he wasn’t trying to give us photographic detail. It's more about the energy, the essence of the horses, a kind of...equine haiku. Do you feel any of that energy in his sketch? Editor: Definitely. It's almost unfinished, but that's part of its charm, right? It hints at movement and the power of these animals without explicitly showing it. Curator: Precisely. The sketchiness compels us to fill in the blanks, to imagine them thundering across a field, maybe even to add our own memories of horses we’ve known. The impressionistic lens transforms what would otherwise be just an academic exercise into a moment that feels vibrantly real. Tell me, does it evoke a sense of nostalgia? Editor: I think so! It’s definitely a looser, more playful style than I typically associate with animal studies, that’s for sure. Almost rebellious, somehow! Curator: I love that rebellious streak! He isn't bound by conventional representation. It feels raw and almost punk rock! Editor: This piece made me think differently about sketches. I typically just see them as practice runs. Curator: Exactly, but Breitner asks us to reconsider; the raw energy and emotion that he captures invites us to pause, to reflect.