Studies van een vrouw 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this pencil sketch, Studies van een vrouw, at an unknown date. The quick, searching quality of the lines, is so immediate, so honest. It's like he’s thinking aloud with his pencil. The texture of the paper peeks through the spare marks, a quiet backdrop to the dance of lines. Look at the way he suggests form with just a few strokes – the curve of a cheek, the angle of a shoulder. See how the lower portrait stares out, whereas the upper portrait almost disappears back into the page? Each mark seems tentative, as if Breitner is feeling his way around the subject. This reminds me of drawings by Degas. Both artists were exploring the possibilities of capturing fleeting moments and gestures. It’s a reminder that art isn’t always about grand statements, but can be about the simple act of looking and trying to understand what we see.