Bebouwing aan het water 1880 - 1882

George Hendrik Breitner created this sketch of buildings along the water in the Netherlands. Breitner was a key figure in the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, which sought to capture the gritty realities of urban life. This sketch, with its loose lines and unfinished quality, exemplifies the Impressionist focus on capturing fleeting moments and sensory experiences. But it also reflects a broader shift in the art world. Artists were becoming increasingly interested in depicting the everyday lives of ordinary people, rather than focusing on historical or mythological subjects. Breitner’s choice of subject matter, the working-class neighborhoods of Amsterdam, reflects his commitment to portraying the social realities of his time. To understand Breitner's work fully, we need to explore the social and economic conditions of the Netherlands in the late 19th century, looking at photographs, newspapers, and other archival materials to reconstruct the world that Breitner inhabited and sought to capture in his art.