Artwork
neighborhood in Jordaan (Lauriergracht & 2e Laurierdwarsstraat)
neighborhood in Jordaan (Lauriergracht & 2e Laurierdwarsstraat) is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist George Hendrik Breitner. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Technically, Breitner employed fluid, wet-into-wet handling to capture fleeting light and atmospheric effects, a method consistent with his plein-air practice.
The work is an oil painting on panel measuring 41 cm in height by 32.5 cm in width, depicting an Amsterdam cityscape in the Jordaan district around Lauriergracht and 2e Laurierdwarsstraat.
Technically, Breitner employed fluid, wet-into-wet handling to capture fleeting light and atmospheric effects, a method consistent with his plein-air practice. The composition emphasizes broad, simplified architectural masses and rhythmic window patterns, subordinating detail to overall tonal unity. The palette relies on muted earth tones punctuated by subtle greens and ochres, conveying the quiet, everyday character of the neighborhood.
History & Provenance
George Hendrik Breitner painted 'neighborhood in Jordaan' in 1901, depicting a specific corner of Amsterdam's Jordaan district at Lauriergracht and 2e Laurierdwarsstraat. The work, executed in oil on panel, measures 41 by 32.5 centimeters and originates from Amsterdam. It is part of the collections held by the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum.
The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and is also part of the Amsterdam Museum collection. It entered the Rijksmuseum inventory as an accession item from the artist's estate in 1901. The work has been exhibited in the museum's permanent displays of Dutch Golden Age paintings and has appeared in special exhibitions on Breitner's cityscapes.
Context
The work was produced during Breitner’s mature Amsterdam period and exemplifies his focus on urban modernity. Specialists note its precise rendering of everyday street activity and its contribution to the cityscape genre that defined Dutch fin-de-siècle art. Contemporary reviews praised the painting’s atmospheric handling of light, while later scholarship has positioned it within Breitner’s broader exploration of social realism and his influence on early 20th-century Dutch painting.
The piece remains part of the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum collections, underscoring its enduring significance in the study of Dutch urban art.
Overview
Neighborhood in Jordaan (Lauriergracht & 2e Laurierdwarsstraat) is a 1901 oil painting by George Hendrik Breitner, depicting a serene street scene in Amsterdam’s Jordaan district.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures everyday life in the Jordaan, focusing on ordinary activities: a woman walks with a child, set against a backdrop of tall, earth-toned buildings. The scene conveys a sense of quiet, unassuming urbanity.
Legacy
As part of Breitner’s oeuvre, it contributes to the historical visual record of Amsterdam’s neighborhoods and the development of Amsterdam Impressionism.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
George Hendrik Breitner (12 September 1857 – 5 June 1923) was a Dutch painter and photographer.
