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Lot Essay
Breitner painted the present lot in 1895 at the age of 37. At that time he was at the height of his career and had already won various medals at exhibitions. In 1895 he was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau and Knight of the Leopoldsorder. The present canvas can be seen as one of Breitner's most vivid depictions of the Dam square by night in Amsterdam. At the time the present lot was painted, Breitners studio was on the Lauriergracht, near the corner of the Singel and close to the Damsquare and the Kalverstraat. From the early nineties up to 1899 - when Breitner moved to a new studio on the Prinseneiland - he made numerous photographs, sketches and paintings of the lively Dam square, which he preferred to depict at night with the electrical lights, horse trams and numerous colourful figures.
Breitner exposed his first Square by Night ('Plein bij Avond') in 1890 on the yearly exhibition of Levende Meesters in The Hague and later that year in Arti et Amicitae in Amsterdam. The reactions of the public were very enthusiastic, which must have stimulated him to continue working on the same theme for a few years. Until 1895 he exhibited every year at least one work with this subject matter. Some of the best examples are now in museum collections, such as 'Dam bij Avond' (Collection Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, circa 1890 (fig. 1)), 'Plein bij Avond' (Collection Dordrechts Museum), 'Figuren op de Dam bij avond' (Collection Singer Museum, Laren, circa 1890), 'Paardentrams op de Dam' (Collection Centraal Museum, Utrecht) and 'De Dam' (Collection Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1898).
Breitner was a master of recording his immediate impressions with a passionate temperament and translating them into paint. His bold brushstrokes are vivid and direct, and the compositions are daring and confronting. Clearly, so-called Chiaroscuro or the effect of light and dark is very important in the present painting. From 1889 the introduction of electrical light in the Kalverstraat shop windows drew his attention. The attraction of the magnificent lights and atmosphere on Breitner is indisputable. Against the dark background of the impressive buildings on the Dam and the Kalverstraat, striking contrasts are created by the bright yellow and oranges colours he used for the shoplights. With a few swift lines he indicated, the horses, the colourful bright dresses worn by the elegant ladies and the skirts of the girls. Not only the subject matter, but also he perfectly balanced composition and its excellent state of conservation, make this canvas an exceptional painting, which may undoubtedly be seen as a masterpiece within the oeuvre of Breitner.
Breitner exposed his first Square by Night ('Plein bij Avond') in 1890 on the yearly exhibition of Levende Meesters in The Hague and later that year in Arti et Amicitae in Amsterdam. The reactions of the public were very enthusiastic, which must have stimulated him to continue working on the same theme for a few years. Until 1895 he exhibited every year at least one work with this subject matter. Some of the best examples are now in museum collections, such as 'Dam bij Avond' (Collection Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, circa 1890 (fig. 1)), 'Plein bij Avond' (Collection Dordrechts Museum), 'Figuren op de Dam bij avond' (Collection Singer Museum, Laren, circa 1890), 'Paardentrams op de Dam' (Collection Centraal Museum, Utrecht) and 'De Dam' (Collection Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1898).
Breitner was a master of recording his immediate impressions with a passionate temperament and translating them into paint. His bold brushstrokes are vivid and direct, and the compositions are daring and confronting. Clearly, so-called Chiaroscuro or the effect of light and dark is very important in the present painting. From 1889 the introduction of electrical light in the Kalverstraat shop windows drew his attention. The attraction of the magnificent lights and atmosphere on Breitner is indisputable. Against the dark background of the impressive buildings on the Dam and the Kalverstraat, striking contrasts are created by the bright yellow and oranges colours he used for the shoplights. With a few swift lines he indicated, the horses, the colourful bright dresses worn by the elegant ladies and the skirts of the girls. Not only the subject matter, but also he perfectly balanced composition and its excellent state of conservation, make this canvas an exceptional painting, which may undoubtedly be seen as a masterpiece within the oeuvre of Breitner.