Annotatie 1896

Editor: So, this is Breitner’s “Annotatie,” made in 1896. It's a pen and pencil drawing on paper and it almost looks like a page torn from a notebook, but kept safe in the Rijksmuseum! What strikes me is the ambiguity – is this a doodle, a sketch, or something more deliberate? What catches your eye about it? Curator: You know, it whispers to me of a hidden language, almost like a secret code from Breitner. Think about it – he was deeply embedded in capturing the grit and reality of Amsterdam. Could this be a personal key to unlocking some element of that world? The grid-like background anchors the writing, lending it weight, whilst simultaneously feeling off the cuff. Editor: A secret code! I love that idea. So you think the setting– the graph paper– is part of the message? Curator: It hints at structure, Editor, beneath the surface. Like a city’s foundations. Or maybe Breitner's personal method for finding structure amongst the chaos of the everyday. What I can see written in faded pencil says 'H. de Raauw' then 'Alexanderkplei, 3' which means Alexander Square number 3. Who do you think lived there, and what purpose did it serve? A model? A friend? Somewhere to buy art supplies? Editor: Hmmm... it really gets you thinking! What I like most about it now is that what at first seems simple can suddenly feel quite deep and full of hidden meanings. It's as though Breitner is inviting us into his personal world in Amsterdam. Curator: Absolutely. It encourages us to consider what he considers, you know?