Studie, abklatsch van een krijttekening 1875 - 1923

Willem Witsen made this study, a transfer of a chalk drawing, sometime between 1880 and 1923. The process of transfer involved pressing the original chalk drawing against another surface, resulting in a fainter, mirrored image. Witsen was working during a period of significant change in the art world, when artists were beginning to question academic traditions and explore new modes of expression. The transfer technique itself can be seen as a comment on artistic reproduction and originality. This piece could reflect the growing interest in printmaking and the democratization of art. To understand this work more fully, we might look at Witsen's other drawings and prints. We might also research the artistic and cultural climate of the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century, paying attention to artistic movements such as Impressionism and Symbolism. Examining museum records and exhibition catalogs would provide further insight into how Witsen's work was received by his contemporaries.