Artwork
Study after the Model (Geesje Kwak?)
Study after the Model (Geesje Kwak?) is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist George Hendrik Breitner. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The iconography is straightforward, lacking complex symbolic attributes, and serves instead as a record of the artist's engagement with his model.
This 1901 oil painting by George Hendrik Breitner functions as a portrait study, with Geesje Kwak identified as the primary subject. The work depicts a woman, focusing on the specific individual rather than an anonymous model or allegorical figure. As a study executed on panel, the piece emphasizes the direct observation of the sitter's physical presence.
The iconography is straightforward, lacking complex symbolic attributes, and serves instead as a record of the artist's engagement with his model. The painting represents a focused examination of the human form within the genre of portraiture, capturing the likeness of Kwak through Breitner's characteristic approach to figure studies.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1901, this portrait is an oil painting applied on a panel support. The work measures 24.5 cm in height and 19 cm in width. Stylistically, it functions as a study focused on the depiction of a woman, identified as the model Geesje Kwak. The composition concentrates on the figure, consistent with the artist's approach to portraiture during this period.
History & Provenance
George Hendrik Breitner painted Study after the Model (Geesje Kwak?) in 1901 as an oil on panel work depicting Geesje Kwak. The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display. Its creation history is tied to Breitner's series of portraits after the model Geesje Kwak, executed in the early 20th century.
The work measures 24.5 cm in height and 19 cm in width, reflecting its modest scale typical of preparatory studies.
Study after the Model (Geesje Kwak?) is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, as recorded in the work's Wikidata entry. The painting is catalogued there as part of the museum's holdings of George Hendrik Breitner's portrait work. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
George Hendrik Breitner’s 1901 oil work, Study after the Model (Geesje Kwak?), presents a solitary female figure seated in a dim interior. The composition is dominated by a single light source entering from the left, which illuminates the woman’s torso while casting deep shadows across her face. The restrained palette and muted background focus attention on the sitter’s quiet presence.
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Artist & collection
Artist
George Hendrik Breitner (12 September 1857 – 5 June 1923) was a Dutch painter and photographer.
