Liggende, naakte figuur 1867 - 1923

This is George Hendrik Breitner's study of a nude figure sketched in ink on paper, held at the Rijksmuseum. The drawing presents a study in tonal variation through the delicate use of line and ink wash. The figure, positioned asymmetrically to the left, curls inward, drawing our eye along the curve of the spine and the tucked limbs. The artist employs an economy of line, suggesting form and shadow with minimal strokes. Note how the hatching across the torso implies volume, while the negative space around the figure enhances its three-dimensionality. This approach reflects a structural interest in the reduction of form to its most essential components. Breitner uses the semiotic system of the body as a signifier of vulnerability and introspection. The absence of definitive lines challenges fixed meanings, inviting a fluid interpretation of the subject's emotional state. The drawing is not merely representational; it's a study of how form can evoke feeling. It reminds us that art is always open to re-interpretation.