Annotaties 1898 - 1902

Annotations, by George Hendrik Breitner, is an unbound notebook now residing in the Rijksmuseum. Breitner was a Dutch painter and photographer known for his depictions of urban life in Amsterdam during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Breitner’s approach was to record the everyday lives of ordinary people. With the rise of photography, artists had new ways of engaging with realism. Breitner was able to capture fleeting moments and candid scenes. Annotations offers insight into Breitner's artistic process and the cultural context in which he worked. The personal annotations may reveal Breitner’s observations, reflections, and inner thoughts. What did he value? What was he interested in? The notebook can serve as a time capsule, preserving fragments of a bygone era. In its pages we see the city through the eyes of someone who walked its streets. Annotations is more than just a collection of notes, it’s an invitation to connect with the past and reflect on the ever-changing nature of urban life.