Jonge vrouw met voorwerpen in haar handen 1897

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of a young woman with charcoal on paper. It is held at the Rijksmuseum. Breitner was known for his depictions of working-class life in Amsterdam during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In this rapidly industrializing city, photography was emerging, altering the landscape for visual artists. Breitner integrated photography into his practice, using it as a tool for observing and documenting the world around him. This sketch, like many of his works, offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of ordinary people. It prompts us to consider the social conditions that shaped artistic production in the Netherlands at the time, as well as the changing role of the artist in a society grappling with modernity. To understand Breitner's work more fully, historians often consult archives, period publications, and exhibition catalogs. These resources help us to understand the artist's place within the broader social and institutional context of his time.