Heiwerker met werktuig over zijn schouder c. 1884 - 1887

Willem Witsen sketched "Heiwerker met werktuig over zijn schouder" using graphite, a medium that lends itself to the gritty realism Witsen often explored. Witsen was a part of the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, where artists turned their attention to everyday life, particularly the lives of the working class. This sketch depicts a pile driver—a manual laborer—with his tool slung over his shoulder, embodying the physical toil that defined the lives of many during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sketch offers an intimate glimpse into the world of labor, rendered with a starkness that reflects the demanding realities of working-class existence. It’s easy to see how Witsen’s art captures not just an image, but a story of societal structure, identity, and the human condition. The sketch invites us to reflect on the dignity of labor.