Karren 1887 - 1891

This study of carts, made with pencil on paper by George Hendrik Breitner, is a fascinating window into the artist’s process. Unlike a finished painting, drawings like these reveal the artist's thought process, their first impressions, and the crucial decisions they make. The immediacy of pencil on paper allows for quick studies, capturing fleeting moments and ideas. The grayscale palette emphasizes the forms and outlines, focusing attention on the structure of the carts. You can almost feel Breitner experimenting with different angles, simplifying complex shapes into basic geometric forms. The quick, gestural marks speak to the pace of modern life, with a sense of energy and movement. These studies represent the labor that underpins any finished artwork. By valuing these preliminary sketches, we recognize the thought, time, and effort involved in the creative process, challenging the traditional hierarchy between "finished" art and the work that goes into it.