Straatgezicht in Amsterdam met de panden Krom Boomssloot 69 en Korte Dijkstraat 2 before 1909

Willem Witsen made this drawing of an Amsterdam street view, with houses at Krom Boomssloot 69 and Korte Dijkstraat 2, using graphite. Witsen belonged to a group of Dutch artists who embraced Impressionism and were interested in depicting everyday life. In this simple street view, the artist captures the quiet charm of Amsterdam's working-class neighborhoods. The quick, blurred lines are evocative. They convey the fleeting nature of urban experience and the everyday lives of those who inhabited these spaces. Witsen came from a privileged background but was drawn to the lives of ordinary people. His work often reflects a sense of social awareness, portraying the beauty and dignity found in the common aspects of urban life. He spent time documenting the changing city, capturing a sense of place and time that resonates with viewers today. "Straatgezicht in Amsterdam" invites us to reflect on the urban environment and those who occupy it.