Afbraak van het Rembrandtplein te Amsterdam c. 1902

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of the demolition of Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam using graphite on paper. The hurried, unfinished lines capture a fleeting moment of urban transformation. The choice of graphite, a humble material, mirrors the scene's gritty reality. Unlike formal oil paintings, this sketch emphasizes the process of observation. You can almost see Breitner's hand moving quickly across the page, capturing the rough textures of the construction site and the figures of laborers. The drawing embodies a social context of rapid urbanization and industrial change. It shows us not the celebrated architecture of the city, but the labor involved in its constant reshaping. The marks and smudges speak to the artist's engagement with the everyday, elevating the act of documentation to an art form. Breitner shows us that the means and modes of production are a crucial element of urban change.