Annotaties 1887 - 1889

George Hendrik Breitner made this annotation probably at the end of the 19th century, using pencil on paper. The symbols here are of a very particular kind: words. But the symbol is not just the word itself, it is also the act of writing. Note-taking and writing are a uniquely human gesture, a way to capture time. You will notice that the pages are organized into compartments, like the ancient Roman “tabulae,” a wax tablet used for writing. This particular way to archive information is a human need that has been present in many cultures since antiquity, but the meaning has changed. Once only used by scribes, this form of writing can now be seen even in the most personal of objects, like diaries. The emotional weight of the image is that it triggers the feeling that an intimate moment is being revealed to us, a glimpse into the artist's most private thoughts. The non-linear progression of these symbols, like echoes across time, resurfaces and evolves, offering new meanings in different historical contexts.