Landschap en een trompet 1881 - 1883

This is an undated pencil drawing called "Landschap en een trompet" or "Landscape and a Trumpet" by George Hendrik Breitner, held at the Rijksmuseum. Breitner lived through a period of rapid urbanization and industrial change in the Netherlands. He was known for capturing the gritty realities of city life in Amsterdam, often focusing on working-class subjects. This sketch, with its seemingly random assortment of objects, gives us a peek into Breitner's process. The trumpet, a symbol often associated with military or celebratory fanfares, is placed alongside everyday objects, perhaps reflecting the social tensions and changing cultural landscape of the time. Breitner sought to capture fleeting moments and sensory experiences. “I see more beauty in a dirty street in Amsterdam than in a Greek temple,” he once said. The sketch is very raw and intimate, it allows us to think about the complex interplay between individual experience and broader societal shifts. It is a meditation on the poetics of the everyday, inviting us to find beauty and meaning in the overlooked corners of our own lives.