Annotaties c. 1887 - 1892

Curator: Looking at this pencil drawing by Willem Witsen, created around 1887 to 1892, I find myself contemplating its seeming incompleteness. It's part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, titled "Annotaties." What strikes you upon seeing this, given your knowledge of visual symbolism? Editor: It appears almost ghostly, an impression of a fleeting memory, the barely-there quality speaks of ephemerality and the intangible nature of thought itself. The vagueness invites the viewer to project their own interpretations, almost like a Rorschach test. Curator: Indeed. And in light of this sketchbook drawing's historical moment, Witsen's almost Impressionistic capture becomes very interesting. Consider the constraints placed upon artistic expression at the time, particularly those surrounding acceptable depictions of societal tensions and rapidly changing urban landscapes. Perhaps this lack of detail serves a purpose? Editor: It resonates with that turn-of-the-century fascination with the unconscious, right? This image pulls on ideas around memory, dreams, that whole Symbolist aesthetic too, like the remnants of something, not yet fully formed or, maybe, intentionally obscured? Is there a commentary being made here? Curator: Absolutely. As with many sketches from that era, we should read this less as a finished work and more as a record of a specific moment—a fleeting observation shaped by Witsen's subjectivity. Its lack of commitment makes it potent. It reflects a sentiment that speaks of transience but simultaneously captures an immediacy of perception that finished, considered works often lose. Editor: The power here definitely lies in suggestion, inviting the viewer to co-create meaning. Perhaps its power rests within the open field, the ambiguity itself? Curator: I think so. This image isn't prescribing a viewpoint, but suggesting a framework, even one through which to better understand turn of the century anxiety or a desire to observe and engage differently with an emergent world. Editor: A worthwhile meditation then, on how absence can be just as expressive as presence. Curator: Agreed. There's profound significance in what's omitted.