Gondel bij een brug over een kanaal in Venetië c. 1914 - 1919

Willem Witsen made this aquatint of a bridge over a canal in Venice, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The gondola glides through the inky water, rendered in tones of grey and black. I imagine Witsen standing there, observing this scene, carefully plotting it out, laying down areas of tone with a brush loaded with acid. It’s very atmospheric. The dark shadows of the buildings contrast with the reflected light on the water, and the light reflected on the buildings. Look how he’s scratched into the plate to describe the edges of the building. It is like he is trying to find the essence of Venice in the quiet, everyday moment. Witsen was part of a group of Dutch artists known as the Amsterdam Impressionists. Like the French Impressionists, they were interested in capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, but their work often had a more somber, melancholic tone. You can sense this mood here. And yet, despite the somber tone, the image conveys a sense of stillness and calm. It’s the feeling of a moment suspended in time.