Studie, mogelijk van wolken c. 1886 - 1923

This study, possibly of clouds, was sketched by George Hendrik Breitner. The ephemeral nature of clouds is captured here in a swirling and dynamic manner. Notice how the lines converge and diverge, almost like the paths of celestial beings. The clouds, amorphous and ever-changing, have long held symbolic weight. Think of the Renaissance depictions of gods and angels floating amongst the clouds, or the Romantic poets who saw in them a reflection of the sublime and untamed aspects of nature. These swirling lines of clouds are not new. Similar motifs can be traced back to ancient Chinese landscape paintings, where clouds were a symbol of transformation, or to ancient Greek depictions of Olympus, the home of the gods. They remind us that every image carries its own history.