Gezicht op een straat, mogelijk bij maanlicht Possibly 1882 - 1886

George Hendrik Breitner made this graphite drawing of a street, possibly at night, in the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century. We might ask, what is the public role of an artwork such as this? Broadly speaking, the Netherlands in Breitner’s time was experiencing rapid industrialization and urbanization. A quick sketch like this offers a rare glimpse into the artist’s world. The image creates meaning through these visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Perhaps this drawing was never intended for public viewing. Perhaps it was more of a private notation, a memento of a particular place. Art historians rely on a variety of archival resources to fully contextualize works such as this: letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, municipal records, and so on. From these, we can assemble a more complete picture of the artist's world. Ultimately, we learn that the meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.