bert feringa                                         painter

 Breitner is one of my favourite painters. He played an important role in the development of Dutch painting In the 19th century. The impact of his down to earth realism in the Netherlands is to a certain extent comparable with the realism Courbet introduced in France. Breitner studied painting at the Academy of the  Hague, but felt himself more at ease with the modern painters of the Hague School. In 1882 he met young Vincent van Gogh in the Hague and sometimes  they went to the backstreets of the Hague to paint labourers and lower class girls, subjects they had in common. Breitner called himself "the painter of the people". Just like van Gogh in his younger years Breitner was an "enfant terrible". Later on he spoke  harsh words on van Gogh's qualities: "art for eskimo's", " work without distinction and moreover stolen from Millet and others". In 1884 he stayed a short while  in Paris painting townviews. Back in Holland he gradually separated himself from the painters of the Hague school and in 1886 he moved together with the painter Isaac Israels to swinging Amsterdam.  There he started painting "Amsterdam impressionism": town views and daily life in the streets of Amsterdam. ( see above).  He is also known as a painter of women. Women in daily life of Amsterdam, but also nudes and girls dressed in kimono . The kimono paintings are often considered as examples of Japonism. In his Amsterdam years Breitner also became a photographer. He left behind an imposing and valuable collection of photographs of rapidly changing Amsterdam at the turn of the century. He also used  photographs as studies for his city life paintings, nudes and kimono paintings. Despite his fame as a painter he  remained in financial troubles until his death in 1923, caused by an heartattack. But even today he is remembered by the the people of Amsterdam.  When the Amsterdam weather is grey and dreary , they  say: "It's Breitner weather".