Optselsom c. 1887 - 1920

Willem Witsen made this page of scribbles and calculations. It’s all about the process, isn’t it? The way one mark leads to another, how you begin to follow a thread. Look at the sums there, a running total of things. The texture of the paper is smooth, unblemished save for the marks made by a graphite pencil. I love the faintness of the marks, like a ghost of an idea. It’s a private language, just for the artist. I think of Cy Twombly and his sketchbooks. He let us into his process, his world of thinking. This page is humble, unpretentious. It feels like a beginning, not an end. That’s the magic of art, isn’t it? It’s not about the finished product, but the journey.