Oude vrouw en annotaties 1893

Curator: Breitner's "Oude vrouw en annotaties," created in 1893, strikes me as a candid page from a personal sketchbook—vulnerable in its immediacy and raw aesthetic. Editor: There's an unmediated quality about the swift pencil strokes; the spontaneity in its making is obvious. Note how the artist immediately captures the aged woman by giving primacy to line and form. It's rudimentary in nature, yet successfully represents its subject matter in such few markings. Curator: Absolutely, but this is also about representing aging and marginalisation in Dutch society at the time. It serves as a record of a time, reflecting Breitner's fascination with the ordinary, the working classes and those existing on the fringes of society. It begs us to question what visibility such groups possessed and why and if those groups are still as under-represented. Editor: I see what you mean but I am drawn to the contrasts—the frailty of the figure against the sharp angularity of the hand-written text. There’s something beautifully dissonant there. It makes one curious about the way Breitner chose to work on this page in a sketchbook rather than making it a standalone drawing. Curator: It does ask many questions, from his perspective to the woman depicted. I believe he used art to document what he witnessed to its unvarnished nature and her stoic face embodies not just an individual but perhaps the spirit of women of that era. Editor: Maybe, but ultimately, for me, the true strength lies in its execution, in Breitner's assured lines and subtle shading techniques. The artist creates space and perspective without superfluous markings. In these lines the power of the drawing lives. Curator: Your focus is on technique here is certainly valid, while I feel that a critical aspect resides in Breitner's depiction of an under-represented demographic that invites analysis of intersectionality within gender and age. Editor: Well, regardless of where our priorities lie, one cannot deny that the sketch, on display here at the Rijksmuseum, offers insight into Breitner’s mind and the woman depicted, a life’s quiet story unfolds right before your eyes.