Schetsboek met 36 bladen 1893 - 1894

This is George Hendrik Breitner's sketchbook with 36 pages. Breitner, who lived from 1857 to 1923, was a Dutch painter and photographer known for his depictions of urban life in Amsterdam. In fin-de-siècle Amsterdam, a period marked by rapid social change and growing class divisions, Breitner positioned himself as the "painter of the people," capturing the everyday lives of working-class individuals. This sketchbook acts as an intimate portal into Breitner's world, a space where he experiments with ideas, composes images, and engages with his subjects on a personal level. Think about how the tactile quality of the sketchbook itself – the paper, the binding, the marks of use – speaks to the artist's lived experience, his physical presence in the city, and his commitment to documenting its ever-changing fabric. The personal nature of this object allows us to think about the relationship between art and identity. While some have accused Breitner of aestheticizing poverty, it’s more productive to consider how his work challenges traditional representations of class and offers alternative narratives that acknowledge the dignity and humanity of the working class.