Vrouwenhoofd 1881 - 1883

Curator: Well, this unassuming little drawing has quite a story to tell. It’s titled "Vrouwenhoofd," or "Woman's Head," by George Hendrik Breitner, dating from 1881 to 1883, and comes from the Rijksmuseum’s collection. It’s a pencil sketch, most likely part of a sketchbook. Editor: It's hauntingly simple. The woman's gaze feels direct, but there's a softness to the lines. I sense an incredible stillness, but with a hint of melancholy too. Curator: Precisely. Breitner, during this period, was very interested in capturing the everyday life around him in Amsterdam, and this sketch exemplifies his approach to realism, which broke from tradition. One must remember the dominance of idealized beauty prevalent at that time; his realism brought forward new perspectives on subjecthood and class. Editor: Looking at it, I wonder about the headscarf, and what it might have symbolized. It hides part of the hair. I think of various symbolic forms across cultures, and of veiling that protects or conceals. Did it mean something particular in Dutch society at this time? A specific class perhaps? Curator: More likely, a sign of her working class origins. Breitner himself was a socialist, invested in representing those marginalized in the dominant narratives of Dutch society. It is his capturing of immediacy which feels truly groundbreaking here. Editor: So, in this very understated sketch, a social commentary is offered. What I also see, in a more personal register, is the suggestion of both the hidden and the revealed; and this ambiguity makes this sketch a compelling character study. Curator: I agree. His sketchbooks offer an intriguing window into not only his artistic method, but the very atmosphere of Amsterdam in the late 19th century. Editor: It gives us a privileged glimpse into both a time and a mind. Thank you for bringing out some compelling angles for appreciation.