Vrouw c. 1886 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing, Vrouw, with graphite on paper. It's a ghostly image that seems to emerge from the ground, like a memory taking shape. I can imagine Breitner, squinting at his model in the studio, charcoal in hand, trying to capture not just her likeness but some ineffable essence. There's a tenderness here, in the way he softens the edges. A few decisive lines, and then lots of smudging and erasing, groping to find the form. The dark shadows at the bottom of the image almost feel like a heavy weight, anchoring the ethereal figure. The woman's form seems to dissolve into the ground. It reminds me of Degas' pastels, or Whistler's tonalist studies, where atmosphere and mood take precedence over detail. It's like Breitner is in conversation with other artists across time, picking up on a shared interest in the fleeting nature of perception, and the way a few simple marks can evoke so much.