Rivierlandschap met een molen Possibly 1906 - 1909

This is Willem Witsen’s "River Landscape with a Mill," a pencil sketch, and it's all about the process of seeing, isn't it? Look at how he’s built up the landscape with these almost nervous, scribbled lines. They aren't trying to be perfect, just capturing the essence of the scene. You can feel him thinking, adjusting, reconsidering each stroke. It’s like a visual diary entry, full of immediacy. The texture is key here. The paper is almost as present as the marks themselves. The pencil is light and airy, giving the whole scene a dreamlike quality. Notice the dark smudges, perhaps where Witsen has rubbed out a line and tried again. Each mark tells a story of its own. This reminds me of some of Turner’s sketches, where the act of observation is more important than the finished product. There's a real intimacy here, a sense of being right there with Witsen. Art’s like that, isn’t it? An ongoing conversation, full of questions and open to interpretation.