Twee meisjes 1907

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing, Twee Meisjes, with graphite, maybe from a sketchbook. Look how the girls materialize through a flurry of lines, scratched onto the paper. It feels like Breitner was trying to capture a fleeting moment, a memory of two girls passing by. I bet Breitner wanted to capture the energy of everyday life. I can see him quickly drawing the contours of the girls’ forms, the lines flickering with movement. The texture of the paper adds another layer of depth, making the drawing feel alive and immediate. There’s a freedom in the looseness of the strokes, like he was thinking with his hand, letting the lines guide him. You can feel the quickness of his hand. I think that artists are always in conversation with each other. The act of painting itself is a site of inquiry for the artist and the viewer.