Hoofden 1882

George Hendrik Breitner created this sketch called ‘Hoofden’ - meaning ‘Heads’ - with a pencil on paper. Breitner was part of a generation of artists in the Netherlands who turned away from romantic idealism toward a gritty realism. Here, Breitner's loose strokes capture intimate, casual views of his subjects. These sketches were likely studies for larger paintings, reflecting Breitner's interest in capturing everyday life. Consider the gaze of the figures: in one, the subject looks down, introspective. In another, the eyes are only partially defined. These may represent the lives of working-class people in Amsterdam, a group often marginalized in more traditional academic art. Breitner, who was known to say "I don't paint like Mesdag, I paint like Breitner," sought to portray the world as he saw it, without romanticizing or idealizing it. The unfinished nature of this sketch invites us to contemplate the incomplete stories of the individuals portrayed.