Studie, mogelijk van een helm op een geweer 1884 - 1886

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch, possibly of a helmet on a rifle, with pencil on paper. Breitner was a prominent figure in the Amsterdam Impressionism movement in the Netherlands, late 19th-early 20th century. These artists often depicted scenes of daily life, and Breitner was particularly known for his unflinching portrayals of the working class and the urban environment. This sketch may seem like an atypical subject for Breitner. However, in the context of the late 19th century, a sketch of a helmet on a rifle speaks to the growing militarization and nationalism in Europe. It's hard to know if Breitner intended to make a larger statement about war, though. He could have just been interested in the formal qualities of these objects and the exercise of sketching. By consulting Breitner’s letters and other archival material, we can learn more about how this sketch relates to his other work and his personal beliefs. Art is contingent on the social and institutional context in which it is made, and it is up to the historian to piece together the meaning.