Heuvellandschap met bebouwing Possibly 1914 - 1916

Willem Witsen made this landscape drawing with pencil, and it's all about seeing how much you can do with a simple line. The most striking thing is the light touch, the sketchiness. It's like catching a fleeting thought. The lines aren't trying to be perfect; they're just there, suggesting forms, buildings, and the rise and fall of the land. The texture of the paper peeks through, becoming part of the image itself. It's all about the process, the act of looking and responding. See how the vertical lines create a sense of depth, pulling you into the scene, while the squiggly lines to the left suggest structures. It’s as if we're seeing the world through the artist’s eyes, not as a finished product, but as a work in progress. Think of the Dutch landscape painters like Jacob van Ruisdael, who captured the vastness and drama of the Dutch countryside, but Witsen does it with such an economy of means. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, and there's always room for a new voice.