Gezicht op gebouwen 1881 - 1883

George Hendrik Breitner created this sketch, "Gezicht op gebouwen", without a specified date, and now resides in the Rijksmuseum. Breitner lived through immense social changes, particularly the rapid urbanization of Amsterdam, which deeply influenced his artistic perspective. His impressionistic style captured the daily life of the working class, often overlooked in traditional art. This sketch gives us insight into the architecture that housed many of these people, a key element in understanding the urban experience of the time. The buildings, rendered with simple lines, convey both the uniformity and the cramped conditions of city living. Breitner aimed to depict the raw, unfiltered reality of Amsterdam, stating, "Painting is seeing and thinking." His work challenged the romanticized views of the city, focusing instead on the ordinary. This sketch serves as a reminder of the physical spaces that shaped the lives and experiences of the urban population.