Annotaties c. 1891 - 1894

This is a page of annotations by George Hendrik Breitner, held at the Rijksmuseum. Breitner lived and worked during a time of massive social change, documenting the working class environment in Amsterdam in the late 19th and early 20th century. Known for his raw and unidealized depictions of urban life, Breitner sought to capture the fleeting moments of everyday existence. This page, filled with scribbled notes, sketches, and calculations, is a window into Breitner's artistic process. As an artist who lived through rapid urbanization and industrialization, his interest in photography and the everyday encapsulates a search for authenticity. Breitner himself said, "Painting is feeling and feeling is nature." This intimate glimpse into his personal notes reminds us that every finished artwork is often the result of a long and complex process, filled with thoughts, experiments, and the pursuit of a feeling.