Studie, mogelijk van een gebouw 1917

This sketchbook page by George Hendrik Breitner, held at the Rijksmuseum, is covered in scribbled notes and addresses, a window into the artist’s mind. Dominating this visual landscape are words and numbers, symbols that reflect the artist’s daily life and interactions. They function almost like personal glyphs, each entry marking a moment, a connection, a fragment of memory. We see the recurrence of numerical notations. These numbers are not merely quantities; they are coordinates in a personal map, akin to the recurring motifs in Renaissance memory theaters, aiding in recall. Consider, for instance, the Kabbalistic tradition, where numbers hold mystical significance, or the ancient Greeks, for whom numbers were the building blocks of cosmic order. The act of writing itself is an assertion of presence, a desire to fix the ephemeral. These addresses are not merely locations; they are anchors, much like the recurring figures in dreams, revealing our subconscious attachments and anxieties. As we contemplate this page, we are reminded that symbols do not exist in isolation. They evolve, resurface, and take on new meanings as the human story unfolds.