George Hendrik Breitner Dutch, 1857-1923

Collection Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk, 1901
Collection C. Weigel, 1928
Private collection, The Netherlands

Rotterdam, Rotterdamsche Kunstkring, Werken van G.H. Breitner en Ed. Karsen, 7 February-3 March 1897, no. 2
Amsterdam, Arti et Amicitiae, Tentoonstelling G.H. Breitner, November 1901-January 1902, no. 97
Rotterdam, Rotterdamsche Kunstkring, Tentoonstelling van werk van G.H. Breitner, 5 February-13 March 1910, no. 17
The Hague, 1916, no. 1
Amsterdam, 1923, no. 56
The Hague, Gemeentelijk Museum voor Moderne Kunst, G.H. Breitner, 1928, no. 50 (erroneously dated 1884)

Dr. A. Pit a.o., G.H. Breitner, indrukken en biografische aanteekeningen van A. Pit, W. Steenhoff, J. Veth en Dr. W. Vogelsang, Amsterdam 1904-1908, p. 7, illustrated
J. Veth, 'Breitners jeugd', Portretstudies en Silhouetten, Amsterdam 1908, pp. 176-205, illustrated on p. 196
A. van Schendel, Breitner, Amsterdam  1939, illustrated on p. 12
Huib Luns, Holland schildert, Amsterdam 1946, p. 303
P.H. Hefting, G.H. Breitner in zijn Haagse tijd, Utrecht 1970, pp. 52, 56, cat.no. 50.  illustrated
A. Venema, G.H. Breitner 1857-1923, Bussum 1981, p. 324

The Dutch artist George Hendrik Breitner (1857-1923) cherished a life-long ambition - as he confessed in a letter of 1882 - to become ‘le peintre du peuple’. This was undoubtedly influenced by his friendship with Vincent van Gogh, with whom he shared a fascination for the human figure. In the early 1880s the two artists frequently worked together and talked about the difficult task they had set themselves. Unlike Van Gogh’s rather hesitant beginnings, Breitner mastered the principles of figure painting in an astonishingly short time. One of his most famous early works is ‘Lady with a cat’, executed in 1883, when the artist was only 26 years old. It received great critical acclaim at that time and is still acknowledged as one of the highlights in Breitner’s oeuvre.

In the early years of his artistic career, Breitner frequently voiced his wish to portray women. He was particularly interested in capturing feminine elegance, as he once confided to his patron A.P. van Stolk. Although Breitner had great difficulty finding suitable models, he managed to persuade Van Stolk’s two daughters to pose for him. One of the two ladies, Anna Johanna or Griettie, probably modelled for ‘Lady with a cat’. 

Compared to the works of his artistic rival and contemporary Isaac Israels, Breitner’s painting is much more challenging in his daring composition and profound control of colours and chiaroscuro. There is no brushstroke, no colour that is not deeply felt. Through the use of light coming from behind, he creates a mysterious atmosphere which is further enhanced by the position of the lady’s arms, playing with the cat as if she were an enchantress. Her white shawl stands out splendidly against the dark background. Interestingly, the white frame of the window in the upper right corner and the white bowl on the table are conceived as abstract forms in their own right. As his friend, the painter Jan Veth observed, Breitner's aim of balancing a sketchy execution against a finished composition was most successful in ‘Lady with a cat’.

The painting was originally in the collection of Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk (1839-1919), the former director of the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam. He was a great supporter of progressive art, which brought him in conflict with the conservative forces in the museum and lead to his resignation. ‘Lady with a cat’ has remained in private hands since.   

G.H. Breitner himself dated the painting 1883 in a letter to the Dutch art critic Albert Plasschaert.

A charcoal study for the painting is preserved in the Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller in Otterlo.

Some quotes from the literature on the artist:

‘Breitner spreekt eind 1881 reeds over het schilderen van damesportretten; in 1882 is hij er echter, voor zover bekend, niet toe gekomen dit plan te verwezenlijken. Van 1883 af komen de portretten van vrouwen dikwijls voor. De Dame met kat uit 1883 is daarbij een hoogtepunt (…) In de behandeling van dit onderwerp tracht Breitner het modieuze te vermijden en schildert ook hier met brede toets, in grote vormen en met sterke contrasten tussen lichte en donkere partijen’ (P.H. Hefting, G.H. Breitner in zijn Haagse tijd, Utrecht 1970, p. 52)

‘Er is een kant van bloedrijke fijnheid in Breitner’s talent, dien ik mij haast in geen ander werk zoo kompleet als in dit laatste stuk (Dame met kat) geopenbaard kan denken (C. Veth, ‘Breitner’s jeugd’, Portretstudies en Silhouetten, Amsterdam 1908, p. 56)

‘Niet in den zin van David Oyens, was G.H. Breitner een genreschilder. Wel zijn er eenige werken van Breitner, en ik denk daarbij o.m. aan ‘De dame met Kat’, die vrij dicht bij Pieter Oyens’ groote figuurschilderingen staan, maar Breitners genrestukken uit de negentiger jaren zijn, meer nog dan de schilderijen van Verschuur, eigenlijk stillevens’ (Huib Luns, Holland Schildert, Amsterdam 1946, p. 303)