Paard met een juk c. 1892 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing called 'Paard met een juk' using sketchy lines. The drawing feels more like a collection of thoughts jotted down rather than a finished piece, Breitner’s rapid marks reveal an interest in process, and the immediacy of the moment. There’s a ghostly quality to the image on the left, drawn with such light pressure that it almost fades into the paper. I’m drawn to the contrast between these lighter, barely-there lines and the darker, more assertive strokes that define the harness on the right. See how these lines are laid down with such confidence, capturing the weight and form of the object with so few marks. The way Breitner uses line is reminiscent of Daumier’s drawings. Like Daumier, Breitner seems less interested in capturing every detail and more interested in conveying the essence of a subject. Art, after all, is about possibilities and embracing the unknown, right?