Vlak landschap met wolkenlucht 1881 - 1883

George Hendrik Breitner sketched this flat landscape with cloudy sky in the Netherlands, sometime between 1880 and 1920. Breitner was a key figure in the Amsterdam Impressionism movement which sought to represent the look and feel of everyday life, and his focus on urban scenes and working-class subjects marked a shift in Dutch art towards social realism. The sketch's open composition and focus on capturing the atmospheric conditions of the Dutch landscape reflect the influence of the Hague School. Breitner studied at the Hague Academy of Art and was aware of the institutional conventions of the art world. By focusing on the gritty realities of modern life, Breitner challenged the prevailing conservative artistic norms of the time. Investigating Breitner’s letters and contemporary exhibition reviews can provide a deeper understanding of his artistic intentions and the social context in which this sketch was created.