Annotaties c. 1886s

Annotaties was made by George Hendrik Breitner, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century, using graphite on paper. This isn't high art in the traditional sense. It's more like a working document, a collection of notes. The material itself – a simple graphite pencil and a piece of paper – speaks to the immediacy of the artistic process. There is nothing labored or precious about it. Graphite allows for quick, erasable marks, ideal for jotting down thoughts and observations. We can imagine Breitner rapidly sketching and writing as ideas came to him. The annotations themselves offer a glimpse into the artist's mind. It’s a casual record of what he was thinking. This piece invites us to consider the value of the preliminary, the everyday labor that underpins creative work. It challenges us to look beyond the finished product. Ultimately, Annotaties reminds us that art-making is not just about the final masterpiece, but the process, the materials, and the social context in which ideas take shape.