Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1893

George Hendrik Breitner created this drawing of an unknown woman in January, sketching directly onto a page torn from a 19th-century diary. The subdued charcoal tones lend the work a quiet, contemplative mood, amplified by the woman's downward gaze. Breitner's formal approach is evident in the swift, economical lines that capture the sitter's form. Note how the rough shading across the upper part of the figure creates a sense of depth. The composition is structured by contrasting areas of dense marks and the blankness of the diary page. Breitner destabilizes traditional portraiture by focusing more on the interplay of light and shadow than on precise detail. The date inscribed at the top of the page might prompt us to contemplate how time and chance influence perception and representation. This drawing challenges fixed notions, inviting us to see the portrait not as a record of likeness but as a study in visual form.