Gezicht op huizen en begroeiing in Buitenzorg c. 1921

Willem Witsen made this artwork, 'Gezicht op huizen en begroeiing in Buitenzorg', with pen and ink on paper. The dense strokes of ink give the impression of looking at a tropical scene in bright sunlight. Can you see the way he has built up the marks to create the form of the trees? I can imagine Witsen really looking, observing and marking. The effect he's created is very textural. I wonder, did he sit outside to make this? Or was it made back in the studio from memory? The process of drawing must have been very meditative. I think there's something about the repetition of shapes and the layering of marks, the way the trees emerge from the paper that captures the feeling of being immersed in nature. And the little houses peeking out between the trees make me think about humankind's relationship to the landscape. Artists have been drawing trees for centuries. It makes me think of Constable and all the plein air painters!