Staande, naakte vrouw die zich afdroogt c. 1919

Willem Witsen made this etching of a standing nude woman drying herself with a towel, using brown ink. What I like about it is the feeling of capturing a stolen moment. The use of a single colour suggests a sense of immediacy, as if the artist dashed off the piece very quickly. Witsen makes very economic use of mark making. Notice the background, for example: a complex of cross-hatched lines suggesting depth and shadow. The light catches the woman's body in a very particular way, with areas of shadow creating contours. I'm reminded of Degas's paintings and pastels of bathers in the way that Witsen captures the everyday and intimate aspect of this woman drying herself. But where Degas is concerned with form, Witsen seems more interested in atmosphere and process. There’s a real freedom in the etching which conveys so much with so little. Ultimately art isn’t about answers, it’s about asking questions and letting the viewer bring their own experiences to the table.