Annotaties c. 1900 - 1901

This page of annotations was created by George Hendrik Breitner, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century, using graphite on paper. These aren't the typical materials we associate with high art. It’s a humble sketchbook, the kind of thing an artist might use for everyday jottings. The material itself—ordinary paper, inscribed with a common pencil—speaks to the immediacy of the artist's thought process. We see calculations, notes, and sketches jumbled together. The artist seems to be working out the logistics of a project, perhaps pricing materials or sketching out designs. The dense accumulation of information, all pressed onto a single page, conveys a sense of the work involved. The combination of artistic creation and practical considerations brings forth questions about the relationship between art and commerce, labor and creativity. Breitner, a successful artist, was also a working professional embedded in a system of production. This object challenges distinctions between the artist's studio and the marketplace.