Abklatsch van een penseeltekening 1882 - 1923

Editor: This is Willem Witsen's "Abklatsch van een penseeltekening," dating somewhere between 1882 and 1923. It’s a pencil drawing on paper. It feels incredibly delicate, almost like a fleeting memory. What do you see in it? Curator: It whispers, doesn’t it? To me, this isn't just a landscape; it's a study of atmosphere. It captures that hazy, melancholic feeling of a Dutch winter perhaps? Or even better, that quiet moment right before the sun truly commits to rising. Imagine Witsen standing there, sketchbook in hand, chasing the ephemeral with these feathery lines. Are you thinking that those lines could have been created while outside, experiencing that environment? Editor: Yes, perhaps! It definitely has that 'plein air' sensibility. The sketchiness, though, makes it hard to pin down what I’m actually *seeing*. Curator: Exactly! That's where the beauty lies, I think. He is not presenting us with a polished scene, it's an impression. Do you see the way he uses line and essentially emptiness to define form? A few wisps and suddenly, there’s a tree line…or maybe just the *idea* of a tree line? Editor: I do now that you mention it. It’s like he's suggesting more than showing. Curator: Precisely! It becomes more about the viewer's imagination and how we respond. It shows the confidence in not having to fully show. Editor: I see it in a different light now. Thanks! Curator: Likewise! Now I’m dreaming of mist and frosty fields!