Paard c. 1902 - 1914

Editor: Breitner’s "Paard," likely created between 1902 and 1914, is a charcoal drawing on paper currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The horse is rendered so minimally, almost like a ghost. It gives me a sense of…fleeting beauty, I suppose? What catches your eye? Curator: Fleeting is perfect. To me, this drawing feels like catching a whispered secret, the kind horses hold in their patient eyes. Breitner's work, at least *my* perception of it, is like a poem scribbled on a cafe napkin - immediate and a little melancholic, like Amsterdam itself. See how the line weight varies, thick then thin? It's not just about representing the horse, but about the *energy* of the horse, the almost tangible hum of its being. What do you think those stark, confident lines tell us? Editor: It's confident but somehow fragile at the same time. Was he aiming for perfect anatomy or something more ephemeral? Curator: Precisely! Perhaps he wasn't after cold, hard accuracy. He’s almost daring the viewer to fill in the blanks, to complete the form in their own mind. In some ways it is almost like haiku, don't you agree? Evoking much more than what's on paper? Editor: I never thought of it that way, but I see your point about evoking the haiku. It’s making me appreciate the less obvious artistic decisions! Curator: Art is about a moment; in some ways that is where the poetry begins. Thanks to your fresh eyes I'm seeing this charcoal sketch anew as more than just a preliminary drawing! It has almost taken a life of its own, just like that haiku you talked about!