Figuurstudie, mogelijk een soldaat 1887 - 1891

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have George Hendrik Breitner's "Figuurstudie, mogelijk een soldaat", a sketch believed to have been created between 1887 and 1891. Editor: My initial impression is of fleeting gestures captured on aged paper; a private glimpse into the artist's thought process, with almost ghostly suggestions of form emerging from the sketchwork. Curator: Indeed. The visible fibers and the creaminess of the paper itself tell a story of material scarcity and the artist’s deliberate choice to utilize readily available, inexpensive materials for preliminary studies. Breitner seems to be deeply involved in the everyday conditions of making art, focusing on immediate use. Editor: The figure, perhaps a soldier as the title suggests, is barely there, yet that absence is incredibly powerful. Soldiers are icons of protection, or even aggression. Does this sparse depiction challenge those conventional notions, perhaps suggesting vulnerability? The medium invites one to question what is suggested or absent and perhaps the very symbol of war is incomplete? Curator: This is precisely where Breitner excels. His materials mirror the environment that surrounds him. Graphite and ink were convenient, portable tools for artists capturing fleeting moments of urban life, especially crucial during industrial changes. His hand sketches challenge high art and production value since he can generate studies to push art further without barriers. Editor: Note how the few lines are firm, confident... almost stoic, evoking something from the figure or their state. What if the incomplete feeling here is symbolic? Consider the societal anxieties, rapid change in the period - is Breitner communicating the destabilization of social emblems during this industrial growth through fragmenting representation? Curator: I appreciate that reading. It brings forth this drawing’s ability to function as a visual record of societal change but let’s remember Breitner’s approach. This is likely an exercise; something utilitarian to work towards something grander. Even a symbol can stem from humble means of production. Editor: Yes, it may seem minor. However, isn't there also something beautifully human in these rough notations of everyday life and emotion caught on this humble aged paper? Curator: I concur. Appreciating the bare essence of the materials used emphasizes this sketch's value. It displays raw potential, similar to the world constantly being built and re-built, industrially or artistically.