Gezicht op Trafalgar Square te Londen 1888 - 1891

Editor: So, this is Willem Witsen's "View of Trafalgar Square, London," created between 1888 and 1891. It's a drawing, a pen and pencil sketch. I'm really struck by the immediacy of it, almost like a snapshot of a bustling city. What catches your eye? Curator: The sketch's rawness speaks volumes. Notice how Witsen uses the square as a stage. What figures populate this mental landscape? And what underlying tensions do those hurried, broken lines suggest? This wasn’t just a pretty scene for him, it appears to capture a fragment of modern experience... the kinetic energy of London, maybe even the anxiety of the era. Editor: Anxiety? I see energy, definitely, but anxiety seems like a strong word. Curator: Consider the symbolic weight of Trafalgar Square itself, commemorating a naval victory yet becoming a site for protests and public gatherings. Is Witsen capturing a moment of national pride, or is there a subtle critique of empire lurking in those shadows? Perhaps he saw something sinister under the veneer of imperial triumph? What symbols can we unravel? Editor: That’s a fascinating perspective. I was so focused on the impressionistic style, the quick lines, that I missed the possible social commentary. Looking again, the figures seem less celebratory and more…lost almost. Curator: Precisely! And doesn’t the unfinished quality amplify this? Like a memory fading or a feeling just beyond our grasp? Consider too that he used aged, toned paper as the ground for his impressionistic rendition of what he saw. Does the passing of time add layers to meaning? Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought about the toned paper like that, layering it like sediment to represent history itself. That gives me a lot to think about. Curator: Art allows us glimpses into not only an artists’ perception, but how we can revisit and re-see anew over the centuries. The emotional truth is far from fixed, isn’t it?