Studies, waaronder een figuurstudie 1880 - 1882

Editor: Here we have "Studies, including a figure study" by George Hendrik Breitner, sketched between 1880 and 1882 using pencil on paper. It looks like a page ripped right out of the artist's sketchbook! It’s quite rough and unpolished, which I find really appealing. What do you make of a sketch like this? Curator: It's tempting to dismiss these sketches as mere preparations for more finished works. But consider the academic art world of the 1880s. The Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, where Breitner studied, drilled students in figure drawing to instill traditional values and create public-facing art. Editor: So, this was practice? Curator: Partly, yes. But these sketches also offered Breitner a space of freedom. Notice the lack of idealization, especially compared to, say, Bouguereau. Instead of the idealized nude that would hang in a Salon, we get something raw, personal, almost defiant in its unpretentiousness. These were less about the public gaze, more about his own investigation. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you're right, it feels very private, in contrast to what was expected of him. Was this kind of raw sketchiness typical for artists back then? Curator: It wasn't uncommon for artists to make quick sketches. Think about the role that drawings play in establishing and perpetuating hierarchies. Was this sketch a subtle form of protest or a simple method? What kind of statements does an image make simply by existing in public? Editor: Fascinating! I initially saw it as just an informal sketch, but now I realize how much it speaks to the constraints of the academic system and Breitner's possible rebellion against it. Curator: Exactly. By looking at the art world of his time, you can uncover the subtle power dynamics embedded within these drawings. They are often quiet conversations, waiting to be heard.