Architectuurstudie c. 1880 - 1906

Editor: So this is "Architectuurstudie" by George Hendrik Breitner, dating from around 1880 to 1906. It's a graphite and pencil drawing on paper, and it has this very raw, almost unfinished feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a focus on the very means of production, the artistic labour made visible. Breitner isn't concerned with hiding the process. Look at the visible layering of graphite, the way the hatching creates depth. It emphasizes the material reality of making an image, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely, the texture almost feels more important than the subject matter itself. Were sketches like these considered less 'valuable' than finished paintings back then, because of their emphasis on labor? Curator: Precisely! It challenges the traditional hierarchy separating high art and mere craft. Breitner’s rapid strokes elevate the labor, making it central. We might even consider this as a record of his interaction with the urban landscape - not a polished scene, but a quick study of built structures captured with minimal means. Do you think this choice of medium changed the consumption of the work? Editor: It likely made it more accessible, right? I imagine sketches being shared or sold differently, maybe to a broader audience less interested in grand pronouncements. It brings it closer to everyday experience. Curator: Exactly! The sketch emphasizes the artist’s process and labor in capturing a fleeting moment, revealing aspects often hidden within a finished painting. It almost democratizes the act of art-making. Editor: I hadn’t considered the social aspect that deeply before. Viewing it as a material record of labour within the city really changes how I perceive it. Curator: It does, and that’s the power of a materialist approach, seeing the art embedded in its creation.