Vrouwenhoofd met muts c. 1883 - 1885

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s charcoal drawing, Vrouwenhoofd met muts, which translates to “Woman’s Head with Bonnet,” now held at the Rijksmuseum. Breitner was active at the end of the 19th century and into the 20th, a time of rapid social change and growing awareness of class differences. Breitner was particularly interested in capturing the lives of ordinary people in Amsterdam. He often depicted working-class women and scenes from everyday life. This is particularly evident in the woman’s modest head covering. At the time, the bonnet would have been a visual code to indicate the woman’s socio-economic status. Breitner’s work often reflects the influence of the Impressionists and Realists, who sought to capture the fleeting moments of modern life. To fully appreciate this drawing, we might turn to social histories of the Netherlands, studies of fashion and dress during this period, and institutional histories of art collecting. By combining these approaches, we can better understand the social and cultural forces that shaped Breitner’s artistic vision.