Paardenhoofd 1872 - 1879

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s “Paardenhoofd,” or “Horse Head,” a pencil drawing that captures the spirit of working-class life and urban experience. Breitner was known for his involvement with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, which embraced the gritty realities of city life. Horses were a common sight in Amsterdam, used for labor and transportation, therefore they became a prominent feature in his work. Breitner had a deep fascination for them, and made many sketches, drawings, paintings, and photographs of horses, which he often used in his street scenes. Breitner’s work humanizes the animals. It is an intimate and personal portrait, a sketch that encapsulates a moment of reflection and being. This approach invites us to consider the lives of working-class people in Amsterdam and broader questions about labor, class, and the place of the animal within this sphere.