Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 27 c. 1887 - 1888

Willem Witsen created this 'Blot of the chalk drawing on page 27', sometime between 1860 and 1923 with chalk on paper. What can we learn from a blot? Well, it's tempting to see it as a failed image. Perhaps it's something Witsen wanted to hide away in his sketchbook. But the Rijksmuseum has decided to conserve it, frame it and display it, so it clearly has some art historical value for us now. In the late 19th century, Witsen was part of a movement of Dutch painters known as the Amsterdam Impressionists, who aimed to capture everyday life through atmospheric images. One might look at the blot and see the kind of misty atmosphere they tried to capture. Perhaps this is a study for a larger work. To understand this work better we can ask what it tells us about the status of sketches, studies, and the role of the artist. Was it intended for public display or private reflection? Studying historical documents may help us decide.