Mannenhoofden 1880 - 1882

Here is a page of sketches of men’s heads by George Hendrik Breitner, done in pencil. The most prominent figure is a man in profile, smoking. The act of smoking is heavy with symbolic weight; the smoke itself, an ephemeral bridge between earth and sky, suggests a fleeting moment of contemplation or escapism. Think of the countless portraits throughout art history where figures clutch pipes or cigars, symbols of leisure, contemplation, and sometimes, a touch of rebellion. The gesture of smoking appears in Dutch Golden Age paintings as a sign of worldly pleasure, and reappears in 19th-century Impressionist works, capturing a modern, bohemian lifestyle. Over time, the meaning of the gesture has shifted, yet it remains laden with cultural and personal significance. The man with a cigar has become an archetype of modern life, a symbol of a moment caught in time, its essence as elusive as the smoke itself.