Annotaties c. 1915 - 1921

This sheet of paper with annotations was made by Willem Witsen, but we don't know when. It could be a preliminary sketch for a painting, or a quick note, but it feels very intimate to me. It is a simple sheet of paper, softly aged and inscribed with dark cursive handwriting. I can't read the script, but my eyes are drawn to the way it is layered over the paper. The script makes me think of Cy Twombly's mark-making, but somehow even more restrained. I can see how the pressure of the pen varies, creating a sense of rhythm and movement. The strokes are confident, yet delicate. This piece reminds me of how art is so often about capturing a fleeting moment, an idea, a feeling. It’s not always about grand statements, but can be about the quiet observations that make up our lives. And like any good piece of art, it holds space for my own interpretation.