Studieblad met een mannenhoofd en vissen c. 1882

This sheet of studies was made by George Hendrik Breitner, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. It is a pencil drawing now held at the Rijksmuseum. The study sheet shows a male head and several sketches of fish. The looseness of the sketches gives us insight into the artist's process, before the image has been worked up for public consumption. It demonstrates the academic training that artists like Breitner underwent, learning to render the human figure in a naturalistic way. Breitner was associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement. This artistic movement occurred at a time of rapid social change in the Netherlands. Artists rejected the historical and romantic themes of the previous generation, instead preferring to depict everyday life. Art historians can use drawings like this one, in conjunction with other archival documents, to learn more about the way the Amsterdam Impressionists like Breitner challenged conservative artistic institutions.