Figuurstudie 1886 - 1923

This sketch by George Hendrik Breitner is made with graphite on paper, and its somewhere between a doodle and a study. There's a real sense of seeing the artist work through an idea, a process that’s laid bare for us. I love how the texture of the paper is so present. The smudges and blurred lines suggest a kind of restless energy, like Breitner was circling around the form, trying to nail it down but also kind of letting it be. The figure itself is suggested with the bare minimum of lines, and in this there is a real beauty. It reminds me of a Cy Twombly drawing. Both artists share an interest in the art being about gesture. Of course, maybe it’s nothing like Twombly, and I’m just projecting my own desires onto it. That’s the thing about art, isn't it? It’s always a conversation.