Vrouwenhoofd en een staand kind met hoed c. 1888

This drawing of a woman and child was made by George Hendrik Breitner, likely using a stick of graphite. It's a simple medium, available at the time to almost anyone. The lightness of the material allows Breitner to capture the scene in just a few strokes. Look closely, and you can see the textured surface of the paper coming through. In his time, Breitner was interested in capturing everyday scenes of working-class people. This drawing’s modest materials and unfinished quality speak to this interest. The swiftness of the lines is a direct and unidealized observation of a daily, domestic scene. In a way, drawings like this were the photographs of their day, capturing a fleeting moment in time. By focusing on the material and process behind this work, we can understand how Breitner used readily available materials to elevate the beauty of daily life.