Mannenhoofden en een zittende vrouw 1882

This drawing of men’s heads and a seated woman was made by George Hendrik Breitner, though the date of its creation is unknown. Notice the repetition of heads, each turned in a slightly different direction. They give the impression of a crowd, each face a mask, individual yet anonymous. Consider the motif of the hat. Here, it is a simple accessory, but throughout history, hats have symbolized status, identity, and belonging. Think of the elaborate headwear in Renaissance portraits, or the revolutionary bonnets of the French Revolution. The hat transforms; what once signified power can become a symbol of rebellion. The arrangement of faces evokes a sense of collective identity, of individuals subsumed into a larger social body. Faces, in turn, remind us of our own mortality. As viewers, we are drawn into this dance of memory, connecting past and present, and reflecting on the ever-changing nature of symbols.