Figuurstudies Possibly 1883 - 1886

Editor: Breitner’s “Figuurstudies,” probably from the 1880s, is a pencil drawing on paper held at the Rijksmuseum. The sketches of figures almost feel like fleeting impressions, quick studies of people in motion. It’s light, airy... a captured moment. What captures your attention most in this piece? Curator: You know, it reminds me a little of catching snippets of dreams—those hazy forms just at the edge of your awareness before they vanish completely. The immediacy of the pencil line... Breitner is really capturing a feeling more than precise details. It feels almost stolen, like he quickly drew people walking down the street and didn't want them to notice. What do you make of that fragmented approach? Editor: That "stolen moment" feeling definitely resonates! Maybe the sketchiness emphasizes the fleeting nature of modern urban life? Curator: Exactly! Think about how rapidly cities were changing then. Impressionism in general really sought to embrace and render that transience. But Breitner—he had this particular knack for catching the quiet, introspective moments amidst the urban hustle, like brief pauses within the bustling city symphony. Are you familiar with the Japanese prints of the time, the Ukiyo-e style? Editor: I am. All that’s ephemeral. The floating world. Curator: The influence is undeniable, particularly that sense of cropping and unconventional composition, placing emphasis on ordinary everyday scenes. Look at how he places figures on the page. How does the emptiness change your reading of the image? Editor: It almost isolates each figure, heightening their sense of anonymity, a face in the crowd. It shows movement but also loneliness. Curator: Precisely! I see these figures less as isolated sketches and more as fleeting encounters within the bigger picture, which brings to mind this overwhelming experience of being immersed in the city’s currents, don’t you agree? Editor: I do. I had focused on the sketchiness as a choice, but you’re right – the fragmentations really give it that atmosphere. Curator: Always let the atmosphere do the talking, the rest will follow...