Schetsboek met 41 bladen c. 1886 - 1903

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s "Sketchbook with 41 Leaves," a compact volume whose dimensions speak to its intimate purpose. The book is housed at the Rijksmuseum. Observe the sketchbook's cover, its aged surface bearing handwritten notations. These inscriptions, visible on the worn and stained cover, give us direct insight into Breitner’s thoughts. The cover’s texture, marked by time and use, highlights the sketchbook’s function as a repository of ideas, not just a pristine object. The formal structure is simple, a rectangle with a dark spine. Breitner, known for capturing the immediacy of urban life, likely used this sketchbook as a tool for recording fleeting impressions. The jottings on its cover act as a semiotic system, hinting at sketches of bustling cityscapes, perhaps capturing light, movement, and the everyday. This suggests the artwork goes beyond being a simple container; it is a textual and visual space that is deeply intertwined with the artist's creative process.