Amsterdamse gracht, gezien vanaf een brug c. 1915 - 1921

Willem Witsen made this drawing of an Amsterdam canal from a bridge with a pencil, probably in a small sketchbook. It's all about the sketch, the capture of a moment. You can almost feel Witsen's hand moving quickly across the page, trying to get the scene down before it disappears. The lines are so light, so tentative, like he's barely touching the paper. It’s like a diagram, but of a feeling more than a place. Look at the zig-zagged scribbles, they create the illusion of light reflecting on water, you can sense the shimmer and movement of the canal beneath the bridge. I love how he leaves so much open. It reminds me that art is not about perfection or completeness. It's about the energy and exchange between the artist and the world, like the paintings of Manet, which embrace a similar impressionistic approach to capturing fleeting moments in everyday life. It’s a conversation, a question, always open to possibility.