Gezicht in Amsterdam, mogelijk de Haarlemmerbuurt 1893

George Hendrik Breitner made this pencil drawing, "Gezicht in Amsterdam, mogelijk de Haarlemmerbuurt," in the late 19th or early 20th century. It captures a street scene in Amsterdam, offering a glimpse into the everyday life of the city. Breitner was known for his gritty, urban scenes, often depicting working-class neighborhoods. His work provides a window into the social realities of the Netherlands during a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Breitner aligns himself with the social realism movement by choosing to depict the unvarnished truth of the city, rather than romanticized or idealized visions. To understand Breitner's work fully, one might look to period newspapers, city planning documents, and social surveys of Amsterdam, to help contextualize the changing face of the city and its impact on daily life. Studying such historical sources alongside the visual evidence can shed light on Breitner's position as a critical observer of his time.