Gezicht op de Brouwersgracht in Amsterdam ter hoogte van de Palmgracht c. 1903

George Hendrik Breitner created this sketch of the Brouwersgracht in Amsterdam, capturing the atmosphere of the city. Breitner was known for his depictions of urban life, particularly the working class and marginalized communities of Amsterdam. In this sketch, we see more than just a canal; it's a snapshot of a city undergoing rapid change and social stratification. Breitner, a keen observer of human behavior, documents the transformation of Amsterdam while being concerned with the individual stories that make up the collective experience of urban life. His emphasis on capturing movement and emotion reflects the changing pace of society and the struggles of the working class. Breitner once said, "I see the beauty in the ordinary." This work challenges traditional notions of beauty by finding value in the everyday scenes of urban life, inviting us to reconsider what is worthy of artistic representation. It’s a document of a time and place, capturing both the grand scale of Amsterdam's infrastructure and the intimate details of its inhabitants' lives.