George Hendrik Breitner
George Hendrik Breitner was a Dutch painter and photographer. He was an important figure in Amsterdam Impressionism, and is noted especially for his paintings of street scenes and harbors in a realistic style. He painted en plein air and became interested in photography as a means of documenting street life and atmospheric effects (rainy weather in particular) as reference materials for his paintings. He often took photographs to prepare his paintings, and several such studies are known for this work. The way in which the woman walks straight towards us and the way in which the image is cropped strike one as distinctly photographic. Breitner initially depicted the woman as a maid, but after a negative review, the gallery representing him felt it would be better if he made her into an elegant lady.
P.S. Here's another street view with a strong photographic influence by the French artist Gustave Caillebotte. Enjoy your walk!
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