Gezicht op Waterloo Bridge te Londen c. 1888 - 1891

Editor: Here we have Willem Witsen’s “View of Waterloo Bridge in London,” likely from around 1890. It’s a graphite and colored pencil drawing. It feels quite subdued, almost melancholic. What do you see in this piece, considering its subject and medium? Curator: The Thames, even in this sketch-like form, speaks to layers of cultural memory. The bridge itself, Waterloo, conjures up that decisive battle – a turning point in European history. Witsen captures the essence of London as a bustling port city, a hub of industry and imperial power, yes, but softened by a palpable atmospheric fog. Editor: So, the image of London carries symbolic weight because of its history? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the medium – graphite and coloured pencil – humble materials, readily available. They suggest accessibility, a democracy of vision. This wasn’t about portraying grandeur but capturing the mood, the light. Witsen, using those materials, subtly evokes the feeling of industrialization and perhaps, also hints at its cost in a time of political strife. The quick strokes are evocative of fleeting impressions, much like life itself. Does the quick application, itself, carry a cultural significance for you? Editor: I never considered it that way. I guess the unfinished nature, like it’s a page torn from a sketchbook, captures a moment rather than making a grand statement. Curator: Precisely. The fragment is powerful. It’s a window onto a specific moment, coloured by history and emotion, using marks pregnant with possibility. Editor: That makes me appreciate it in a completely new way, focusing not just on the image itself, but what it represents, its emotional echo of industry. Curator: It reveals how art functions almost like collective memory, expressed through an image.