Portret van een vrouw in ovaal, mogelijk Marie Jordan 1886 - 1923

This sketch, "Portret van een vrouw in ovaal, mogelijk Marie Jordan" was created by George Hendrik Breitner, likely in Amsterdam during the late 19th or early 20th century. Breitner, known for his unflinching portrayals of Amsterdam's working class and street life, here offers us a glimpse into the private sphere, albeit one rendered with the same directness of his more public-facing works. The sitter, possibly Marie Jordan, is framed within an oval, her gaze averted, almost introspective. It is a delicate drawing that exists in tension with the social and artistic milieu of Breitner's time. The artist moved in circles with radical ideas which opposed the mainstream art world. Although this work is more traditional, it reflects a tension between the intimate and the public. What do you think this drawing tells us about the space inhabited by women in that period? What stories remain untold?