Gevels, mogelijk aan het Damrak te Amsterdam 1912 - 1919

George Hendrik Breitner sketched these facades, possibly along the Damrak in Amsterdam, using graphite. Breitner worked during a time of rapid urbanization and social change in the Netherlands. He was known for his interest in capturing the everyday life of the working class. His paintings often depicted scenes of urban life, reflecting the realities of people from different social backgrounds. This sketch, with its focus on architectural details, may seem distant from those concerns, yet Breitner’s larger body of work reflects a commitment to representing a broad spectrum of society. While on the one hand, he was celebrated as a painter of modern life, on the other, he was criticized for the seemingly unpolished and unrefined style of his paintings. It is through this lens, that we can appreciate how Breitner's art served as a mirror, reflecting both the progress and the contradictions of his era.