Pratende meiden op een straathoek 1867 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner made this pencil drawing, titled 'Pratende meiden op een straathoek', or 'Talking girls on a street corner', sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. In it, we see a group of women engaged in conversation, perhaps sharing local gossip or discussing the events of the day. Breitner was known for his depictions of everyday life in Amsterdam. During that time, the Netherlands experienced rapid urbanization and social change. Art moved outdoors, away from the studio. This work captures a fleeting moment in the lives of ordinary people. The loose, sketch-like style reflects a modern interest in capturing the immediacy of experience, and an interest in the lives of working-class people. It makes the case for these lives as worthy of artistic attention. To understand this drawing fully, we could explore the social history of Amsterdam during Breitner's lifetime: things such as demographics, economic conditions, and changing roles of women in society.