Gebouwen, mogelijk aan een gracht c. 1886 - 1903

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of buildings, possibly along a canal, using graphite on paper. Breitner lived and worked in Amsterdam during a period of rapid social and economic change. His art captures fleeting moments of everyday life, particularly of working-class people. Breitner's impressionistic style, with its loose lines, reflects the transient nature of modern urban existence. There is a sense of detachment, as if Breitner were a distant observer of the scenes he depicts, which resonates with the experience of living in an ever-changing metropolis. Breitner developed alternative narratives by focusing on the unvarnished realities of city life, which often existed in the margins of society. He once said "I see nothing pathological in the ordinary man in the street". This sketch serves as a visual record of a specific time and place, while also providing an emotional connection to the past, inviting us to consider our own relationship with the urban landscape.