Studie, mogelijk van een dameshoed c. 1892 - 1923

Curator: Immediately, there’s a stark, raw quality to this drawing. Editor: Indeed. What we are seeing here is "Studie, mogelijk van een dameshoed," or "Study, possibly of a lady's hat," made by George Hendrik Breitner between 1892 and 1923. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. He used graphite on paper to create this small portrait sketch. Curator: The artist's hand is so evident; the smudging, the quick, repetitive strokes. It emphasizes the making, the process itself, rather than a finished product, what does that bring to mind for you? Editor: The sketch brings into question the roles available to women at the time and perhaps critiques the obsession with fashion that can feel confining and performative. It looks less like a glamorous portrait and more like a shadowy caricature. I see that echoed, perhaps even enhanced, by the sketchiness. The portrait style feels incomplete and hints at something fleeting or obscured. Curator: You're right, there is an obscured feeling here. When looking at a work like this, I'm interested in the source and manufacturing of Breitner’s materials: Where did his graphite come from? Was the paper mill locally sourced or part of a larger colonial trade network? And who were the workers behind their production? Editor: Framing it like that reveals hidden facets of these objects and their origins. How might a drawing like this uphold or challenge contemporary social and economic power structures of that time, and how are such forces shaping Breitner’s own life and art making? I'd argue it critiques consumer culture and class performance but perhaps he was interested in that on a more superficial level. Curator: These pieces prompt so many necessary lines of inquiry, revealing the conditions under which the piece was made. It all informs our understanding. Editor: Exactly. This study—its medium and its mark-making—is pregnant with its cultural moment, its gendered nuances, and class awareness.