Gezicht op een straat, mogelijk in of bij Den Haag 1895

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a street, possibly in or near The Hague, using pencil on paper. Breitner worked during a period of rapid urban expansion and industrialization, phenomena which deeply impacted the social fabric of Dutch society. Breitner, known for his unflinching depictions of Amsterdam's working class, sought to capture the gritty reality of city life. Here, rather than presenting an idealized vision of the Netherlands, he offers a raw, unromanticized view, marked by stark lines and an almost unsettling realism. The sketch carries an emotional charge, evoking a sense of alienation and perhaps even unease, reflecting the socio-economic disparities of his time. His commitment to portraying the unvarnished truth makes us question whose stories are valued and remembered. Breitner leaves us to consider the social, economic, and human costs of progress, and invites us to reflect on our own place within a rapidly changing world.