Liggende koeien 1880 - 1882

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of cows, likely en plein air, using graphite on paper. A humble pairing of materials, and a world away from the bravura brushwork of oil paint on canvas. With a utilitarian sketchbook and pencil, Breitner could record a slice of working-class life, the unsentimental reality of livestock. The rapid marks suggest a fleeting moment captured, devoid of romanticism. It's an aesthetic attuned to the industrial age. Graphite, itself a product of mining, allowed artists to quickly render observations, bridging the gap between academic practice and the gritty pulse of modern existence. By choosing a commonplace subject and a readily available medium, Breitner democratized the artistic process. This subversion of traditional artistic hierarchies invites us to reconsider the value we place on labor, the everyday, and the tools through which they are represented.