Poort van Hotel Bellevue in Buitenzorg c. 1921

Willem Witsen made this etching, "Poort van Hotel Bellevue in Buitenzorg" - that's "Gate of Hotel Bellevue in Buitenzorg" - using brown ink on paper. What I love about this piece is the way the artist allows the image to emerge, delicately rendering the scene with subtle lines and textures, letting the golden-brown of the paper peek through, adding a warm, hazy atmosphere to the scene. The architecture frames a view into what looks like a verdant, slightly overgrown garden. The overall effect creates a sense of depth and distance. It is a quiet moment, like the artist is inviting you to pause and reflect on the beauty of the scene, its atmosphere. I wonder what he was thinking when he made this? The image is beautiful but understated, as if the artist knew just when to stop. It makes me think about Whistler and the way that artists look at one another’s work. The history of painting is like an ongoing conversation.