Vrouw aan een tafel 1880 - 1882

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch, "Vrouw aan een tafel" with graphite on paper. Breitner was a key figure in the Amsterdam Impressionism movement in the Netherlands. Breitner was known for capturing everyday life, particularly that of the working class. Here, the quick, informal lines suggest the hustle and bustle of modern urban existence. This sketch may have been part of a larger academic study to be later used in another painting. If so, it would have been used to convey an image of modern life. To fully appreciate the artwork, we can use the archives of art institutions, historical documents, and social studies from the Netherlands. We can consider Breitner’s position in the art world, the purpose of academic studies at this time and how they intersect with the social dynamics of Amsterdam during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By focusing on the role of art in society, we can reveal the rich layers of meaning behind this seemingly simple sketch.