Twee ruiters 1881 - 1883

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of two riders with pencil on paper. The sketch, now in the Rijksmuseum, gives the impression of a quick study, maybe made on site, with various measurements jotted down around the figures. Breitner was working in Amsterdam at the turn of the century, a time of significant social and economic change. His work often focused on the everyday life of the city, capturing fleeting moments and ordinary people. Breitner had an interest in photography and was also known for his sketches and preliminary studies. The sketch aesthetic seems to invite us into the creative process, making us privy to the artist's methods. To understand this work better, we might look at the place of equestrian imagery in the Netherlands at the time, and the social class to which these riders may have belonged. Further study would focus on the conventions of academic figure drawing in the late 19th century. This helps to illuminate the cultural and institutional forces at play in the making of such an image.