Rudolf Bremmer (1900–1993)
Study of Working Men
Monogrammed and dated lower right: R.B. ’24
Pencil on light reddish paper
26 x 37 cm
Mounted in a passe-partout

Condition:
In good condition.

Provenance:
Private collection, Leiden

Information:
This dynamic 1924 study by Rudolf Bremmer depicts a group of men engaged in physical labour. The scene is rendered in a sketch-like manner, with confident and expressive lines that emphasise movement and posture.
At the centre of the composition stands a man with his hands on his hips, perhaps a foreman or overseer, while others are shown bent over their work. On the left, two labourers appear to be handling or transporting an object in a container or cart. To the right, a figure is seen using a tool, while another, more loosely indicated, leans forward in motion.

The drawing may represent artisanal or agricultural labour, possibly a market scene or harvesting activity. With its expressive linework and the interplay between detailed and loosely drawn elements, Bremmer captures a moment of collective effort. The work aligns with the tradition of socially engaged realist studies, in which the working class takes centre stage, a theme that received significant attention in early 20th-century art.