Turfschuiten in 't IJ c. 1910 - 1911

Curator: Look at this, our unassuming "Turfschuiten in 't IJ" by Willem Witsen, dating back to around 1910 or 1911. It’s a pencil drawing on paper. A simple sketch, but rather evocative, don't you think? Editor: Yes, at first glance, there's a quiet melancholia, a certain stillness that really grabs me, but it does seem almost unfinished, raw in a way that demands a second look. Is that water damage I spot there at the bottom of the sketchbook? Curator: Quite possibly! But consider this raw quality as a feature. This artwork exists in a beautiful intersection between Dutch Golden Age and Impressionism and offers a very direct connection to the artist's vision and working process. The subject matter is intriguing to me as well. The IJ was the waterway that linked Amsterdam to the sea. Turfschuiten are these boats which are loaded with peat for fuel. Editor: Absolutely! It seems like a vital connection to fuel the economic engine and the heart of Dutch society. A somewhat invisible labor. The choice of pencil, I think, underscores that. The rapid capture, not a painting or polished etching, really anchors it in the daily grind of Amsterdam at the time, almost industrial even as we think of its effects today. Curator: You know, what is amazing here to me is Witsen's rendering of light on water, the play of reflection off the boat hulls; the texture and layering that’s barely visible but truly palpable. There is something about the soft almost misty light captured through delicate strokes. I love that there is a certain depth beyond its almost hazy landscape. Editor: Right, you almost sense the dampness in the air, smell the earth on the peat. But those ships, clustered almost precariously, waiting their turn perhaps; what does that suggest? Is there a visual comment, through these means, on the city’s consumption, of the artist taking note of resources ready for a population’s endless needs? Curator: I suppose this particular piece provides insight into his relationship to the city itself. Maybe he just happened upon a lovely scene one afternoon in Amsterdam. Maybe not everything has to be read through those lenses all the time! Editor: (chuckles) Touché! Still, I'm convinced there's a critical commentary woven subtly into this otherwise serene tableau. That material connection of city life via this drawing to our present-day material dependencies remains thought-provoking. Curator: Yes! From a gentle scene to some interesting social commentary... A very insightful angle on the "Turfschuiten in 't IJ." Thank you. Editor: The pleasure was all mine.