Figuren, mogelijk bij een boom c. 1909

This pencil drawing titled, Figuren, mogelijk bij een boom, was made by George Hendrik Breitner sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Breitner was known for his depictions of everyday life in Amsterdam, a city undergoing rapid change as it industrialized. Though just a sketch, this work reflects Breitner’s interest in capturing fleeting moments and the gritty realities of urban existence. It's not a grand history painting, the kind displayed in the great museums of Europe. Instead, the drawing focuses on anonymous figures, perhaps laborers or ordinary citizens, situated near a tree. These figures, quickly rendered, are shown with an immediacy that Breitner achieved by working outdoors, often in working-class neighborhoods. Breitner aligns himself with a progressive artistic movement that sought to break away from academic tradition and engage with the social issues of their time. By studying sketches like these, alongside photographs and other documents, we gain insight into Breitner’s artistic process and the social context that shaped his vision.