Studie, mogelijk van een figuur op een kade 1880 - 1882

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a possible figure on a quay, using graphite on paper. Graphite offers a wonderful immediacy to image-making. As a material, it’s just pure carbon, the stuff of life, but here it's been processed and formed into a tool for capturing observations. The artist would have used a knife to sharpen the graphite and create a point to control lines, and a rag to smudge parts of the composition. Breitner has made use of those inherent qualities of the medium, creating different tones through controlled rubbing and smudging, capturing the industrial landscape with remarkable economy. The quick application of graphite on paper reveals the artist's fleeting impressions of his surroundings. By focusing on the materiality and process of this study, we can see beyond the traditional definition of fine art, and appreciate the skill and labor involved in capturing a fleeting moment.