Studie 1893 - 1899

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch called "Studie". Breitner lived through a time of huge social change and he captured a slice of life in the Netherlands. The fleeting sketch shows a carriage and tree branches, a genre scene from everyday life. It’s tempting to think about how the development of quick media like photography influenced him. Did these quick media change how he, and others, perceived and depicted the world? Here we have something raw and unfiltered, a glimpse into the artist’s immediate experience. Breitner was known for his interest in capturing the lives of ordinary people, particularly the working class, and his focus on the energy of city life. Think about the emotional and personal elements in this work. How does it feel to see such a raw, not fully worked out image? This sketch encapsulates an era, and gives us a space to reflect on the transient moments that make up our own lives.