Kostuumstudies 1893

George Hendrik Breitner made this pencil sketch, entitled "Costume Studies," during his time in the Netherlands, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The image is a preliminary study of clothing, perhaps for a figure in a larger composition, and the numbers that surround the sketch are probably measurements. Breitner was very interested in representing modern life, especially the lives of ordinary people, so costume was undoubtedly an important element in his work. One can imagine that he felt the need to accurately render working-class attire. The Rijksmuseum has a large collection of Breitner’s work, including paintings, drawings, and photographs. Researching these archives might help us better understand the social context of Breitner's costume studies. In this way, historians can learn more about everyday lives in the Netherlands during this period.