Annotaties c. 1900 - 1901

This is a page of annotations by George Hendrik Breitner, housed at the Rijksmuseum. The initial impression is one of emptiness, dominated by a large, rectangular field of pale off-white which covers most of the surface. This field is subtly textured, suggesting the weave of paper. The composition is structured around a stark contrast: the central void against a cluster of notations in the bottom right corner. These lines of text, rendered in a delicate hand, anchor the visual field. The lines and shapes, though minimal, disrupt the viewer's expectations. The texture of the paper itself becomes prominent, transforming what could be a simple background into a complex visual element. In this piece, Breitner seems to challenge conventional artistic values. He uses the semiotic system to challenge fixed meanings. The annotations invite us to question what constitutes art and how we assign value and meaning.