Figuurstudies 1881 - 1883

Editor: Breitner's "Figuurstudies," created between 1881 and 1883, is a pencil drawing held here at the Rijksmuseum. It's very delicate, almost ghostly. You can barely make out the figures. What is your take on this? Curator: The hasty application of graphite on paper offers a potent example of artistic labor. Look at these sketches, produced in multiples as studies, underscoring the relentless work that underlies a finished artwork. Breitner wasn't creating high art here; he was producing raw material for it. Consider how this contrasts with the bourgeois idea of the singular artistic genius. Editor: So you see the value not in the image itself, but in the work that created it? Curator: Precisely. What tools did he use? What kind of paper? These factors governed the ultimate look. We must also ask: Who did Breitner intend this for? Was it for public consumption, or an intermediate stage in his artistic process, informing a larger work? Was it a commodity? This allows us to reconsider traditional hierarchies and appreciate how such "lesser" material operates within the larger social economy. Editor: I hadn’t thought about the economics of artmaking. So it's not just about what he drew but also *how* and *why* he was drawing. Curator: Indeed. Consider also the labor involved in manufacturing both paper and pencils - from the cutting of trees, refining of graphite, to the labor involved in transporting them and their presence in 19th century Amsterdam. The history of technology and capital is hidden in these lines. Editor: That’s given me a whole new perspective on something that initially just seemed like a quick sketch. Curator: Absolutely. By questioning how art is made and circulated, we see "Figuurstudies" as part of a bigger picture of industrial production and economic history.