Huizen aan een gracht te Amsterdam 1870 - 1923

Editor: Here we have Willem Witsen's "Houses on a Canal in Amsterdam," created sometime between 1870 and 1923, a watercolor and mixed media work held at the Rijksmuseum. I find the muted colors and reflection on the water create a sense of quiet melancholy. What’s your interpretation of this piece? Curator: The melancholy you observe, I think, is key to understanding Witsen's work. It speaks to the changing landscape of Amsterdam at the time, a city undergoing rapid modernization. What was lost in that transition? Witsen focuses our attention on the everyday, the domestic. Editor: So you see the painting as a commentary on modernization? Curator: Absolutely. Notice the intimacy of the scene: laundry hanging, flowerpots in the windows. But there's also a certain stillness, almost a resignation, in the facade itself. These aren't grand houses; they're homes of the working class, reflecting a particular Dutch identity. The reflection blurs, questioning the stability of the scene before us. It begs the question: Who had access to this developing landscape and what were the ramifications for those excluded? Editor: It’s like Witsen is highlighting the ordinary, giving it importance in the face of progress. Curator: Precisely. And in doing so, he acknowledges the importance of intersectionality—examining class, and environment during these transitions. He uses this scene to remind us about issues that persist today when areas gentrify. The earth tones help to ground his work in Realism while blurring the reflection below lends to Impressionism to convey tone. Editor: That makes me see the painting in a totally new light. It is much more critical than it first appears. Thank you for the deep dive. Curator: It was a pleasure! Let’s continue these explorations throughout the tour!