Studie c. 1880 - 1906

George Hendrik Breitner, working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, created this charcoal drawing, titled "Studie," which now resides in the Rijksmuseum. Breitner, as a documentarian of Amsterdam, often captured fleeting moments of urban life. This sketch reveals his interest in quickly capturing gestures and movements, likely studies for larger compositions. The rapid lines speak to the changing social fabric of the Netherlands during that time and the growing industrialization that was altering people's relationship to their cities and labor. What is it that Breitner is seeing? What is he looking at and what is he deciding to leave out? In his pursuit to quickly draw what he sees, does he manage to capture an impression of a moment in time?