Huizen aan een gracht c. 1870 - 1923

Willem Witsen created "Huizen aan een gracht," or "Houses on a canal" with watercolor and graphite on paper. The painting presents us with a muted palette of grays, browns, and creams, creating a melancholic mood. Note the composition, which is divided into two horizontal registers. The upper section shows a row of canal houses, capturing their weathered facades with remarkable detail. The lower section depicts the canal’s murky water, reflecting the buildings above in a distorted manner. Witsen destabilizes traditional landscape painting by focusing on the mundane aspects of urban life rather than picturesque scenery. The crumbling brickwork, sagging windows, and dark doorways evoke a sense of decay and abandonment. The reflections in the canal water suggest the passage of time and the transient nature of reality. The painting’s subdued tones and asymmetrical arrangement underscore the transience of urban existence. Witsen invites us to contemplate the interplay between decay and reflection, reality and illusion.