Studies c. 1892 - 1897

Editor: So, this is Willem Witsen's "Studies," a graphite and pencil drawing on paper, dating from around 1892 to 1897. It feels almost… incomplete, a whisper of an idea. What jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: That "incomplete" feeling is precisely what captures me. It's like stumbling upon a page ripped from the artist’s intimate diary. The sketch itself hints at a landscape, doesn’t it? Maybe a bend in a river, a glimpse of rooftops? But Witsen hasn't offered us a full meal; it’s more like a canapé of observation. Have you noticed how little he needs to convey so much? Editor: Yes! The sparseness is striking. The barest lines suggest form, almost abstractly. What does that say about Witsen’s style, his focus? Curator: I think it speaks to a very modern sensibility, even for the late 19th century. Witsen wasn’t after photographic realism. Instead, he offers impressions. Look closely: see that soft smudging? The slight pressure variations? Those aren’t mistakes; they are deliberate choices to capture the fleeting qualities of light and atmosphere. Does it remind you of anything? Editor: Sort of like a hazy memory... almost like an Impressionist painting! Curator: Precisely! But distilled, refined. The medium itself, pencil on paper, lends to the intimacy of the sketch. It is, dare I say, a most sincere love letter to the quiet moments in the Dutch landscape. Editor: I never would have thought so much could be said with so little. I definitely look at it differently now! Curator: Isn’t it wonderful? Art invites us to see, then to truly *see*. This unassuming "Study" has gifted us that experience today.