Annotaties 1895 - 1898

This notebook page, filled with calculations by George Hendrik Breitner, reveals how numbers themselves become potent symbols. Consider how the act of calculation, of balancing accounts, mirrors humanity's age-old quest for order within chaos. These figures, though seemingly mundane, echo across time. One might recall the abacus of ancient Mesopotamia, or the elaborate numerical systems of the Mayan civilization. In each, numbers serve not only practical purposes, but also as markers of cultural memory and subconscious order. The very gesture of writing these numbers carries weight. The hand, guided by reason, seeks to tame the ephemeral world into quantifiable form. The same impulse that led early humans to inscribe cave walls with images now leads Breitner to fill this page with sums and subtractions. The repetition, the almost ritualistic nature of these calculations, evoke a deeper psychological process—a desire to control, to understand, and to make sense of the world. The page becomes a mirror reflecting humanity's enduring pursuit of knowledge and understanding.