Heiwerker met een spade over de schouder c. 1884 - 1887

Willem Witsen rendered this drawing of a worker with a spade in pencil. The most striking element is the spade itself, carried over the shoulder like a burden or a tool of the trade. Consider how tools, like the spade, transcend their practical use to become potent symbols. In ancient times, the scepter signified royal power; similarly, the spade here is a marker of the working class, its heft and form representing the weight of labor. We may think of Millet's "The Gleaners," where the figures' stooped postures and the tools of harvest become emblems of peasant life, echoing across centuries. The cyclical nature of labor and its representation in art reveal a non-linear progression, resurfacing in diverse contexts and evolving with new meanings, engaging viewers on a subconscious level.