Valkeveen aan de Zuiderzee c. 1913

Willem Witsen made Valkeveen aan de Zuiderzee with black chalk and stump on brownish paper. Looking at this, I’m struck by how immediate the experience of making art can be. It's there in the smudgy marks, and in the way the paper seems to absorb the chalk. The texture is so important here. It’s not just about what we see, but how we feel the softness of the chalk. The way Witsen uses the stump, blurring the lines, creates a hazy atmosphere that feels melancholic. The land and the sky merge, almost like a dream. Notice that thin white line cutting across the scene, a little detail that pulls your eye up into the sky. This work reminds me a little of James McNeill Whistler's landscapes, that same interest in capturing a fleeting moment or mood. With Valkeveen aan de Zuiderzee, Witsen invites us to pause, reflect, and get lost in the quiet beauty of this place. It shows the unique language an artist develops in how they respond to, and create the world around them.