Twee gearmde jonge vrouwen 1890

George Hendrik Breitner made this graphite sketch, Two Poor Young Women. The artist employs basic materials, paper and graphite, using line work that is brisk and minimal. Breitner applied the pencil lightly, but he was also capable of applying the pencil in darker, more emphatic lines. Given that this work depicts poor, presumably working-class women, the unpretentious quality of the drawing material feels appropriate. The drawing has a snapshot-like quality, the product of a rapidly captured moment. This immediacy speaks to the social context within which Breitner was working – a culture in which industrialization increased social stratification. The drawing does not depict the women at work but rather captures them in quiet repose. By choosing such an everyday scene, and by using such simple means, Breitner directs our attention to the lives of those easily overlooked. This approach challenges our expectations and deepens our appreciation of the lives of these working-class women.