Abklatsch van de tekening op pagina 83 1888 - 1907

This is a page from Willem Witsen’s sketchbook, revealing the ghostly traces of drawings transferred from one page to another. The pale marks carry the weight of previous artistic endeavors, now echoing faintly like memories. Think of the "veil of Veronica," where Christ's image was imprinted on a cloth. Here, we have a similar phenomenon – an imprint, a relic of creation. This act of transference speaks to the pervasive human desire to capture and preserve, to make the ephemeral permanent. The practice connects to ancient traditions such as the creation of death masks to preserve the likeness of the deceased. The act of copying or transferring is not merely technical; it embodies a psychological drive to replicate and internalize. This process allows the artist to engage deeply with their own work, fostering a cyclical interplay between creation, memory, and reinvention. As we contemplate this faint impression, we are reminded of art's cyclical nature – ideas resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings across time.