Gezicht op de Krom Boomssloot 71 1906

Willem Witsen made this etching of Gezicht op de Krom Boomssloot 71, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. What I love about etchings is how they capture a scene with such a limited palette, and Witsen does this beautifully here. The texture is incredible; it feels like you could run your fingers over the brickwork or the cobblestones. Look closely at the lower left, how the hatching on the cube creates a sense of depth. It's like a little abstract painting within the larger image. I’m interested in that doorway, though. The texture is flattened, so it becomes the deepest, darkest space in the composition, but also a completely impenetrable area. Witsen was part of a group of Dutch Impressionists, and you can see that sensibility in his attention to light and atmosphere. There's a quietness to this piece, a sense of everyday life observed with a keen eye. It reminds me a little of Whistler's etchings of Venice, that same feeling of capturing a moment in time with such precision and grace. Ultimately, it invites you to slow down and appreciate the beauty in the ordinary, which is something I always strive for in my own work.