Twee paarden 1896 - 1897

Curator: This drawing, simply titled "Twee paarden," or "Two Horses," was created by George Hendrik Breitner sometime between 1896 and 1897. You can find it here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There’s an immediacy to this. It looks like something jotted down in a hurry, capturing movement and musculature. The rawness of the pencil on paper really conveys energy. I mean, it almost feels like Breitner captured a moment in time. Curator: Exactly. And while it looks spontaneous, it is far more complex than a simple sketch. If we think about the process, it's graphite applied to mass produced paper in a lined notebook. This elevates utilitarian materials through artistic gesture and vision, really blurring lines between high art and everyday life. The drawing itself has been realized with impressive swiftness through distinct marks, showcasing incredible control. Editor: Absolutely! The choice of graphite, easily portable and readily available, suggests a deliberate democratization of art making. No expensive oils or cumbersome canvases. This also resonates with Impressionism's interest in the transient and accessible subject matter. But is he just capturing a fleeting scene or is he interested in the industry of horses, their role in labour, maybe? Curator: I agree, though I believe it does both! Breitner's work always straddled that line. The loose application, the sketchy quality... it all breathes life and dynamism. There's also an intimacy here – like catching the horses in a quiet moment, unaware of being observed. That emotional accessibility draws you in. It invites you to linger, to imagine their breath and to be closer to them. And the realism here really grounds the image as truthful and full of spirit. Editor: Yes, that notion of “truth” through accessible means—very potent. Seeing this now makes me think more broadly about the notebook itself: it is the support, the space, but also a functional thing in its own right, something meant to be written and sketched in, used and abused. In a way, Breitner is not just drawing horses, he's documenting a way of working, thinking through material, and it makes us question that divide between process and product. Curator: Indeed. It invites us to think about our own relationships to art. The notebook becomes a window onto the artistic journey, a very accessible and tactile artifact of creativity. I always love when an artist's personality just bursts forth! Editor: Agreed. It reminds us that art isn’t always precious and rarefied. It can be scrappy, immediate, and deeply rooted in material reality.