Schoolmeester en een hoofd c. 1882

George Hendrik Breitner sketched "Schoolmeester en een hoofd" using graphite, a medium that mirrored the immediacy of his subjects. Breitner, a contemporary of Van Gogh, had a keen eye for the daily lives of ordinary people in the Netherlands. Living in a rapidly industrializing Amsterdam, Breitner focused on the working class, the marginalized, and, in this case, the educators. There is a quiet dignity in the teacher's posture, as if burdened by the weight of knowledge and responsibility. The sketch provides us with a window into the lives of those who shaped the minds of future generations. Breitner’s sketch urges us to reflect on the unsung heroes of society and the value of education.