Landschap 1880 - 1882

George Hendrik Breitner, who lived between 1857 and 1923, made this landscape drawing. Breitner was a key figure in the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, known for capturing the gritty realities of urban life. This sketch, with its sparse lines, diverges from romantic landscape traditions. Instead, the economic changes of the time shaped Breitner’s realist lens. The Industrial Revolution brought about urbanization, and shifts in class structures. There are undertones of a changing world in this quick, yet evocative drawing. Though just a sketch, Breitner’s ability to capture the feeling of a place is evident. He does not prettify this landscape. It's as if he is saying, "I don't want to paint pretty things...I see what is." The raw simplicity here feels both personal and reflective of broader societal shifts, inviting us to contemplate the relationship between nature, urbanity, and identity.