Studie, mogelijk van een gevulde mand c. 1886s

This sketch of a possible filled basket was made by George Hendrik Breitner, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century, with graphite on paper. The artist has quickly rendered a woven basket and its contents. The textured marks made by the graphite suggest the basket's woven form, and the implied weight of the objects within. The grainy texture invites us to consider not only the subject of the sketch, but also the process behind it. Breitner's choice of graphite, a readily available and relatively inexpensive material, speaks to the era's increasing industrialization and mass production. The work itself hints at the social context of its creation: a rapidly changing world where the traditional crafts of basketry met the rise of industrial materials and processes. By focusing on the materiality and making of this sketch, we can better appreciate the cultural significance it holds.