Schetsboek met 27 bladen 1881 - 1883

This is George Hendrik Breitner's sketchbook with 27 pages, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The sketchbook cover shows a palimpsest of time and use, its mottled surface a testament to the artist's engagement with the world. The structure of the sketchbook itself becomes a form, its dimensions dictating the scale of Breitner's fleeting observations. The inscriptions, partially obscured, add layers of meaning. The marks of age, the stains and fading, contribute to the overall aesthetic, turning the book into a visual record of its own history. This object challenges conventional notions of art. The sketchbook invites us to consider the raw, unfiltered moments of artistic creation. Breitner’s sketchbook blurs the line between the artistic process and the final product, emphasizing the continuous loop of seeing, thinking, and recording. The materiality of the sketchbook – its tactile quality and aged appearance – functions as a sign, pointing to the intimate relationship between the artist and his world.