Figuurstudies 1886 - 1923

These figure studies were made by George Hendrik Breitner, probably with graphite or charcoal on paper. You can really see the energy of the hand moving across the page. These marks aren’t precious, they’re about the process of trying to capture a form or an idea in the moment. It’s that sense of movement and becoming, rather than a static image, that I find so appealing. I think about the physical act of drawing, the pressure and speed of the hand, the way the material leaves a trace on the paper. Look at how he suggests the form of the figures through these quick, scratchy lines. The marks are raw and immediate, and there's no attempt to hide the process. It reminds me of some of Degas’s more frenetic drawings, but with a slightly rougher edge. It’s like eavesdropping on the artist's thought process, watching him work through an idea, and that’s something I always find fascinating.