Studie 1874 - 1923

This study was made by Willem Witsen, and is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Here, we see the barest sketch of a man's head, almost swallowed by the negative space, and some indistinct marks on the lower right. In themselves, these notations are of little significance. Yet, consider the artist's hand, almost involuntarily driven by the memories of others. Perhaps, the gesture of this drawing is echoed in the rapid strokes of a Renaissance master capturing a fleeting emotion, or even in the simple doodles of a child lost in thought. It is not the image itself, but the act of creation that speaks to us across time. Each stroke carries with it the weight of countless previous expressions. What drives this compulsion to make a mark, to leave a trace? The answer, I believe, lies in the depths of our collective, perhaps even subconscious, longing for connection.