Annotaties 1893

This is a page of annotations by George Hendrik Breitner. What we see is a field of tan paper densely inscribed with numbers, names and phrases in black ink. The composition has no clear structure. Text runs diagonally and overlaps, creating a sense of randomness. The materiality of the page itself is crucial. Breitner’s writing is immediate and impulsive. The page captures the artist’s unfiltered thoughts and observations. The writing resists any fixed interpretation. Instead, it invites multiple readings and associations. Breitner's annotations challenge traditional ideas about what constitutes a finished work of art. The rawness destabilizes the established categories of sketch versus artwork. Through this piece, we begin to explore how Breitner disrupts conventional artistic boundaries. We start to question the traditional separation between private notes and public presentation.