Bouwvakkers aan het werk, mogelijk op de Westermarkt te Amsterdam 1898 - 1902

This is George Hendrik Breitner's sketch, "Bouwvakkers aan het werk, mogelijk op de Westermarkt te Amsterdam", whose date is unknown, likely crafted during the late 19th or early 20th century. Breitner was known for capturing the raw, unvarnished realities of Amsterdam life. Here, the artist sketches construction workers, possibly at Westermarkt, with rapid, energetic lines. During this period of rapid urban expansion, construction sites were common throughout Amsterdam, which Breitner often depicted as a key theme in his work. Consider the role of labor and the working class. Breitner, who positioned himself as the ‘painter of the people,’ would have been keen to depict the workers as part of the transformation of the city into a modern metropolis. The sketch invites you to consider the individuals who physically built the city. The image captures a fleeting moment in time, a testament to the energy and dynamism of a city undergoing constant change.