Annotaties 1887 - 1889

This is a page of notes by George Hendrik Breitner, made in an unknown year, now held in the Rijksmuseum. A seemingly chaotic array of annotations and sketches fills the composition. Lines, shapes, and handwritten text coalesce in a dense configuration, offering glimpses into the artist's thought process. Breitner's Annotaties is less about conveying a singular message than about capturing the raw, unfiltered nature of artistic ideation. Semiotically, each stroke, word, and shape functions as a sign, hinting at Breitner's broader artistic and philosophical concerns. There is the sense that the artist is using these notes as an expressive space. Ultimately, this page reflects a mode of inquiry and experimentation, inviting viewers to contemplate the dynamic interplay between intention and execution. It captures a moment of artistic creation, where the distinction between thought and expression blurs, and the act of making becomes a form of thinking.