Zittende vrouw met drie kinderen in een landschap c. 1884 - 1887

Willem Witsen made this drawing of a seated woman with three children in a landscape with graphite on paper. Here, the quick strokes of the artist capture a tender moment in the everyday life of a family. Looking at the sketch, you can see that the artist's hand moved swiftly, using the pencil almost like a shorthand to capture form and shadow. This immediacy and directness brings us closer to Witsen's way of seeing, as the paper's texture subtly enlivens the figures and scenery, providing a sense of place. Although simple, the choice of graphite on paper carries cultural significance. These are accessible, mass-produced materials, indicative of a shift towards more democratic forms of art-making. As such, Witsen’s sketch embodies a democratization of artistic expression, capturing ordinary people, and their everyday surroundings. This artwork highlights how the simplest of materials, combined with skill and vision, can offer profound insights into the human condition. It blurs the boundaries between high art and the more intimate, personal world of sketching.