Gevel van een winkel op de Nieuwendijk te Amsterdam c. 1894

George Hendrik Breitner sketched this shopfront on the Nieuwendijk in Amsterdam with pencil on notebook paper. This drawing offers a glimpse into the rapidly changing urban landscape of Amsterdam during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Breitner was known for his interest in capturing the everyday life of the city, and this sketch reflects his fascination with the architecture and commercial activity of the Nieuwendijk, a bustling street. The Nieuwendijk, as a major thoroughfare, played a crucial role in the city's economy and social life. Breitner's decision to depict it suggests an awareness of the street's significance as a site of modernity and change. By studying archival photographs, maps, and historical accounts of Amsterdam, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social and economic forces that shaped Breitner's artistic vision and the world he sought to capture in his art. We can understand art's meaning as dependent on social context.