Kustlijn van de Zuiderzee in Valkeveen c. 1913

Willem Witsen made this print of the Zuiderzee coastline in Valkeveen using etching. Look at the way the marks build up, like strokes with a soft pencil, creating a hazy, atmospheric effect. The beauty of etching lies in its tactile quality. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the plate, building up tones and textures. Notice the dense cluster of marks that form the land on the right, and the lighter, more sparse lines suggesting the open sky. This contrast gives the print depth and a sense of space. Then there’s that horizontal line, which could almost be a mistake, but holds the composition in place. It reminds me of Whistler's prints, in the way it captures a sense of place with such minimal means. Ultimately, art is about seeing and feeling, not just depicting, and Witsen invites us to do just that.