Schetsboek met 7 bladen c. 1871 - 1876

This is a sketchbook with seven pages by George Hendrik Breitner. The word "ALBUM" is written on the cover, each letter a symbol pregnant with possibility. Like a portal or a stage, the album holds the potential for stories, memories, and visions to be captured within its pages. The album, reminiscent of the tabula rasa of antiquity, is a blank slate, inviting the artist to infuse it with his observations and emotions. Consider the symbolism of the act of collecting and assembling—the very essence of an album. It echoes the ancient practice of creating memory palaces, where images and symbols were arranged in specific orders to aid recollection. This impulse to categorize, collect, and preserve is a deeply human endeavor. The pages of this album are not merely surfaces; they are vessels of personal and collective memory, pulsating with potential narratives waiting to be awakened.