Hoofd van een vrouw met loshangend haar c. 1919

Willem Witsen made this etching of a woman with loose hair, with very fine marks and a somber palette. I can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the plate, scratching, and coaxing the image into being. You can see it’s a process of revelation, where the woman’s form emerges gradually from the dark background, her eyes downcast. The etcher's line is so expressive, it's like a whispered secret. What was Witsen thinking as he made this? Was he in love? Was he in despair? The texture is created through delicate marks, capturing the soft fall of light on her face and hair. It's a beautiful example of how printmaking can be incredibly intimate, mirroring the human experience, full of introspection and emotion. It reminds me of some of Paula Rego’s prints, though more subtle, more contained. Artists echo each other, transmuting ideas across time.