Gezicht op de Waag te Amsterdam c. 1897

Willem Witsen sketched this view of the Waag in Amsterdam, which is now held at the Rijksmuseum, using pencil on paper. Witsen was a part of the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, a group of artists who captured the fleeting moments of everyday life. In this sketch, the architectural details of the Waag are suggested with a sparse and economic hand. The marks on the paper allude to a place steeped in Amsterdam’s history, from its days as a city gate in the Middle Ages, to its later function as a public weighing house. Witsen’s drawing captures the way the physical structures embody layers of cultural memory. By focusing on such an iconic landmark, Witsen invites reflection on the city's identity. His impressionistic style emphasizes the subjective experience of place, which prompts us to consider our own relationships with the spaces we inhabit.