Studie 1887 - 1891

George Hendrik Breitner created this ‘Studie’ with graphite on paper. Graphite, a form of carbon, offers a dry medium that allows for a range of tonal values depending on the pressure applied. The visible marks and smudges on the paper suggest a process of layering and reworking. The texture of the paper itself becomes significant, almost as if absorbing the artist's energy. Breitner's technique reveals a willingness to leave traces of the artistic process visible, rather than attempting to conceal them. While it may appear simple, the act of drawing like this has a long history, connected to both academic training and the rapid sketching of modern life. Breitner may have created many drawings like this, quickly and with the barest of materials, but this did not diminish the act of creating them. It speaks to a democratization of artmaking, where skill and vision, rather than lavish materials, take center stage.