Bomen 1881 - 1883

Curator: This is "Bomen," a drawing by George Hendrik Breitner, made around 1881-1883. You can see it here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My initial feeling? Stark. The skeletal branches against the aged paper… it's austere, almost melancholic. Curator: Yes, it's certainly not a romanticized view of nature. Breitner, often associated with Amsterdam Impressionism, used pencil and colored pencil here to capture the raw, almost brutal essence of these trees. To me, they seem to suggest resilience and struggle. Notice how the lines, especially in the thicker trunks, seem to have an aggressive texture almost? Editor: Absolutely, and thinking about materials, that paper tells its own story, doesn't it? The staining and discoloration… it wasn’t intended as a precious, archival surface. This feels more like a working study. He likely wasn’t aiming for permanence. How would such materials affect Breitner's artistic intentions at that point? Curator: Precisely. And considering the time, such quick drawings may have been useful when portraying certain characteristics about human actions and expressions to viewers in the later completed and much grander scaled works, something akin to preparatory documents. These rapidly laid pencil strokes almost seem like they were meant to express what words couldn't... like quick fleeting moments. It really shows how closely Breitner looked and absorbed nature. Editor: The drawing embodies the immediacy of the creative process. Was it destined for the studio, a source for future larger scale paintings, or was this a record in itself of a momentary, more emotional interaction with nature? Curator: Knowing Breitner, this could easily have informed some larger work. Though to your point, it certainly exists successfully as a drawing in its own right. It’s allusive but clear, the marks evoke deep feelings beyond simply 'trees'. It touches something very old inside me when viewing this, of ancient nature perhaps. Editor: Indeed. I appreciate seeing the work with fresh eyes now, moving beyond the surface and appreciating Breitner's attention to process. It does feel strangely powerful. Curator: I agree. Thank you. A powerful experience lies in recognizing the weight such fleeting lines possess as symbols.