Bomen voor een boerderij c. 1880 - 1906

"Bomen voor een boerderij", or "Trees for a Farm," is a pencil drawing by George Hendrik Breitner, part of his sketchbooks collection. Breitner worked during a time of great social change in the Netherlands. There was rapid urbanization and industrialization which lead to a growing divide between urban and rural life. Breitner, an urbanite, often explored themes of alienation and the changing social landscape in his art. This drawing contrasts with Breitner's more well-known cityscapes. The rural subject matter, with a focus on natural forms and landscapes, evokes a feeling of nostalgia for a simpler time. The sketchy, unfinished quality makes the drawing feel immediate, like a fleeting moment captured on paper. It's not a romanticized view of the countryside, but rather a raw, unvarnished glimpse of rural life. What emotions does it evoke in you? Nostalgia? Perhaps a longing for nature? Or perhaps, a sense of disconnect from this simpler life?