Figuren onder paraplu's, mogelijk op de Dam in Amsterdam c. 1890 - 1900

This work is a sketch titled 'Figures under Umbrellas, possibly on the Dam in Amsterdam', created by George Hendrik Breitner. Breitner lived in Amsterdam during a period of rapid urbanization and social change, which profoundly influenced his artistic vision. Through quick, gestural lines, Breitner captures a fleeting moment of everyday life, and the anonymity of city dwellers, their faces obscured. The umbrellas become symbols of privacy and protection in the bustling public space. One can almost feel the wetness of the rain and the greyness of the sky. Breitner was known for his photographs of the city, and here we see him experimenting with how to convey the same immediacy and realism in drawing. Instead of idealizing the scene, he embraces its gritty reality, documenting the lives of ordinary people in a rapidly changing urban landscape.