Man met een spade, mogelijk een heiwerker c. 1888s

Willem Witsen sketched "Man met een spade, mogelijk een heiwerker" with chalk on paper. The composition is divided into three horizontal bands: sky, land, and what may be a body of water, with the figure dominating the view. The figure is roughly hewn from dark chalk lines. The density of marks indicates shadow and form, but it obscures detail, turning the individual into an almost anonymous mass. The horizon is suggested through a series of lines, a stark contrast to the solid form of the worker. Witsen captures a moment, not through detail, but through mass and form. Consider how the artist employs the materiality of chalk to evoke a sense of raw, unrefined labor. It's as if the medium itself mimics the physical demands on the worker. This interplay between subject, material, and form invites us to consider the nature of representation and the way an artist's choices reflect broader cultural values and perceptions.