Stadsgezicht Possibly 1906 - 1909

Willem Witsen created this drawing, Stadsgezicht, which translates to Cityscape, with graphite on paper. Witsen lived through a time of massive urban expansion, and his work often captures the changing face of Dutch cities. In this quick sketch we see a cityscape that is heavy with atmosphere, the softness of the graphite suggesting an overcast day. The city emerges gently from the water, with the buildings softened by the trees that surround them. Witsen's impressionistic technique obscures detail and instead privileges the subjective experience of the landscape. Witsen belonged to a group of artists known as the Amsterdam Impressionists, whose focus was on capturing the fleeting moments of everyday life. While this piece certainly reflects the changes he was witnessing, it also evokes a timeless, almost dreamlike quality, inviting us to reflect on the relationship between the city, nature, and memory.