Twee dieren en een man met een hoofddeksel c. 1883 - 1885

Editor: This sketch, "Twee dieren en een man met een hoofddeksel," or "Two animals and a man with headgear," was made by George Hendrik Breitner sometime between 1883 and 1885. The charcoal and graphite really give it a sense of immediacy, like a glimpse into the artist’s notebook. There’s a casualness, a roughness, that’s pretty engaging. What do you make of it? Curator: Engaging indeed. It feels almost like eavesdropping, doesn’t it? Breitner captures a fleeting moment with remarkable sensitivity, more of a whisper than a shout. He's not aiming for perfection, is he? Just… essence. What do you feel he's trying to communicate with the composition? The seemingly random placement of figures, almost like thought bubbles in a dream? Editor: That’s a good point about the composition being dream-like. I didn’t notice that. It feels unfinished, more about process than a finished product. Was this typical of his other works, or is it something specific about his sketchbooks? Curator: Breitner loved to explore movement and capturing fleeting moments in urban life, he also employed photography a lot. I think what he was really good at, especially given his deep knowledge of Impressionism, was conveying emotion more so than accurate representation. The rough strokes mirror the chaos and vibrancy of the city that really spoke to him. He often sought emotion over precision. Editor: I can definitely see that in the emotion that I sense in this page from Breitner’s sketchbook. It really helps me appreciate how Impressionism allowed the artist to invite the viewer to make a lot of decisions, because they are seeing it from their perspective, making a sketch that will eventually come together to form one solid, meaningful image or piece of artwork. Curator: Exactly. He almost hands us the reins, doesn’t he? What do you think: did it succeed at being a fleeting moment, or would it be something you hang in your home, as it is? Editor: Both; it is really cool that the Rijksmuseum preserved his creative thought process so that others like me can see the way his mind worked when he was on his journey towards becoming the master artist.