Annotaties 1893 - 1898

George Hendrik Breitner created this notebook page sometime during his lifetime, using graphite on paper. Breitner was a key figure in the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, capturing the city's vibrant, rapidly changing urban life. This particular page, filled with annotations, offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s working methods. These are the underpinnings of the paintings and photographs that came to define the modern city. The scrawled notes and sketches are a sharp contrast to the polished works displayed in galleries and museums. It reveals the institutional framework in which Breitner operated. He was not just an artist but a businessman navigating the art market. Art historians often use these kinds of primary sources, like sketchbooks, letters, and exhibition catalogs, to understand the social and economic conditions that shape artistic production. By examining the context in which art is made, we gain a deeper appreciation of its meaning and significance.