George Hendrik Breitner (1857-1923)

Wasvrouw aan de Vest in Rotterdam

Details

George Hendrik Breitner (1857-1923)
Wasvrouw aan de Vest in Rotterdam
signed lower left G.H.Breitner
pencil and watercolour heightened with white on paper
48 x 27.5 cm
Executed in 1882

Provenance

A.D. Cels.
Kunsthandel E.J. van Wisselingh & Co., Amsterdam, 1906, inv. no. 2167. H.J. Hubert, Oosterbeek, 1906; Sale Frederik Muller & Cie., Amsterdam, 13 June 1911, lot 5.
Kunsthandel E.J. van Wisselingh & Co., Amsterdam, inv. no. 1251.
C.G. Vattier Kraane, 1928; Sale Frederik Muller & Cie., Amsterdam, 22 March 1954, lot 74.
W. Hoos, The Hague.
Anon. Sale, Mak van Waay Amsterdam, 21 October 1974.

Literature

A. van Schendel, Breitner, (Palet Serie), 1939, pp. 9 and 53.
A.M. Hammacher, Amsterdamsche Impressionisten en hun kring, 1941, pp. 46, 83, 112, no. 22.
P.H. Hefting, G.H. Breitner in zijn Haagse Tijd, 1970, no. 128, fig 30.

Exhibited

Amsterdam, Kunsthandel E.J. van Wisselingh, September-October 1916, no. 2.
The Hague, Gemeente Museum, Breitner, 10 November-9 December 1928, no. 40.
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Tentoonstelling Breitner, 10 June-1 August 1933, no. 34, fig. 48.
Amsterdam, Tentoonstelling 60-jarig bestaan van de Vereniging voor Hedendaagse Kunst, 1934, no. 36.
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, 1947, no. 168.
Antwerpen, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, 1947, no. 113.
Delft, De Aquarel, 1952, no. 229.
Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, 1954, no. 83.
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum, ca. 1970, on loan by the heirs of W. Hoos, The Hague.
Breda, Cultureel Centrum de Beyerd, Nederlandse Aquarellen en gouaches, no.36.
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, George Hendrik Breitner, 19 November 1994-5 February 1995, p. 114, no. 40, col.ill.
The Hague, Panorama Mesdag, Breitner, De Oorsprong van het moment, 6 June 1997-25 August 1997.
The Hague, Museum Mesdag, 1997, on loan.

Lot Essay

In the year the present lot was executed, the artist had declared his wish to become 'le Peintre du Peuple'. His new choice of subject-matter, primarily focusing on daily street life is clearly demonstrated in the present lot. At the time of execution, Breitner was living in The Hague, where the work of Jean-Franois Millet was greatly admired within the artistic community. Although Breitner was less impressed with the social and human side of Millet's work than his contemporaries, the depiction of the girl carrying a heavy load in the present lot betrays the Frenchman's influence.

A preparatory drawing from 1882 is in the Rijksprentenkabinet, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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