George Hendrik Breitner
George Hendrik Breitner
George Hendrik Breitner was a Dutch painter and photographer. An important figure in Amsterdam Impressionism, he is noted especially for his paintings of street scenes and harbours in a realistic style. He painted en plein air, and became interested in photography as a means of documenting street life and atmospheric effects – rainy weather in particular – as reference materials for his paintings.
"I did visit the Breitner exhibition and I enjoyed it very much. A real painter.. .And what a delightful colors, what a richness of wealthy grays and what is everything thrown upon it. Nevertheless I am happy that the world has more faces.. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)"
"If he is good, it seems to be something hasty of Vierge [ Daniel Vierge? ], if he however is rushing or not working continuously, which is most often the case, then it is difficult to say who it seems the most, because it seems to nothing - unless to strips of an old faded wallpaper from I dont know which time, but in any case very weird and probably long past eras.. ..fields of faded color as on bleached and decayed and moldy wallpaper.. ..it is something one sees with fever."
"After viewing a few paintings and a drawing that I had brought in the day before yesterday, Mr. v.d. Kellen [Dutch art-dealer] assured me that there was absolutely no chance of placing anything of mine here, unless it was bought under pressure of a pleasant future, and I think he is right because he showed me various paintings, and specifically those that were closest to my understanding of art were the most difficult to place.. .I was astounded and furious about such far-reaching stupidity and the pedantry of the man [another art dealer, Herman Deichmann]. All the paintings present were beneath criticism, they were just the usual German Academic-stuff. (The Hague, 1882)"
"Breitner, whom I didnt expect in the least because he had apparently broken off contact completely some time ago, turned up yesterday. That pleased me because in the past — when I was first here [in The Hague] — he was very pleasant to go walking with. I mean to go out together not in the country but in the city itself, to look for figures and nice scenes. Here in The Hague there isnt a single person Ive ever done that with in the city itself; most think the city ugly and pass by all of it. And yet its really beautiful in the city sometimes, dont you agree?** Quote of Vincent van Gogh, in a letter to Theo, from the Hague, c. July 1883 - original manuscript at Van Gogh Museum, location Amsterdam - inv. nos. b322 a-c V/1962"
"..in an review of the exhibition in [[w:Arti et Amicitiae|Arti, [in Amsterdam] ]] you say that most of my submissions are not meant as a study. I dont know what you mean by study. I understand a study as a work I am painting directly after nature, with the aim hold on the casual tone,color and line. All of mine that is presented there, is immediately felt in nature and not one of the sketches is done by heart after received impressions for any paintings. I thought I had to tell you this, because then you might get a different view of it - whether you think they are more worthy or not because of this, I dont want to judge.. ..yours GH Breitner"
"The so-called bourgeoisie doesnt provide any substance for my art. The character [of the models] there is too faint and without any spirit. It doesnt represent a race in an artistic sense. So there is no other choice for me [than folk women]. (translation from the original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)"
