Figuurstudie c. 1915 - 1916

This is a sketchbook page by George Hendrik Breitner, probably made with graphite or charcoal. I see these ephemeral marks sketching out a figure, like the ghost of someone barely there. I imagine Breitner in a café, hunched over this notebook, trying to capture a fleeting impression of a passerby. There’s a sense of urgency in these lines, like he’s racing against time. But this isn't just a record, it’s a conversation with himself – a dialogue between seeing and knowing. See how the quick scribbles almost disappear into the surrounding written text, half-formed calculations and addresses. It makes me think about how we're all just palimpsests, layers of experience building up over time. Artists like Breitner remind us to pay attention to the in-between moments, the little gestures that make up a life. It’s like he's saying: "Here, look at this, it's not much, but it's something."