Paardenhoofd Possibly 1872 - 1879

This is George Hendrik Breitner's "Paardenhoofd," or "Horse Head," a pencil drawing on paper. Breitner was very interested in the working class, and often depicted laborers and other scenes of everyday life in Amsterdam. Here, the texture of the paper itself becomes part of the story. It's slightly rough, with visible fibers, and the pencil marks vary in pressure and direction. See how Breitner uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up the form of the horse's head, creating a sense of volume and depth. The lines are not just descriptive; they also convey a sense of movement and energy, appropriate given Breitner's fascination with modern life. Horses were still a central part of that world, not symbols of leisure but rather beasts of burden, integral to trade and transport. By focusing on the animal’s head, Breitner draws attention to the horse's physical presence, emphasizing its muscularity and strength. It’s a reminder of the labor that underpinned Amsterdam's bustling economy, and of the intimate connection between humans and animals in the pre-industrial world.