Wolkenlucht 1881 - 1883

George Hendrik Breitner made this drawing, Wolkenlucht, with graphite. The quick and open strokes that sketch the clouds seem almost effortless. It's a useful reminder that many artworks are made through careful planning and preparatory sketches. Breitner was a Dutch artist working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization in the Netherlands. As a result, the art world became more professionalized, with academies, galleries, and museums playing an increasingly important role. Breitner received academic training, but broke with these traditions by focusing on everyday life in the city of Amsterdam. Breitner was a member of the Amsterdam Impressionism movement. This movement critiqued the institutions of art through its loose brushwork, emphasis on light and atmosphere, and focus on scenes of modern life. It's worth consulting contemporary art criticism and exhibition records to understand the politics of Impressionism. These help us see how the status of Breitner’s sketch may have changed over time as the art world’s institutions changed too.