Groenendaal in Rotterdam c. 1897 - 1898

Curator: Here we have Willem Witsen’s "Groenendaal in Rotterdam," an etching from around 1897-1898. It’s part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, and it captures a quiet corner of the city. What strikes you initially? Editor: Well, the stillness for one. It feels like a scene caught in a moment of quiet contemplation, almost as if the city is holding its breath. And that limited tonal range, it almost mutes the buildings, reducing them to solemn blocks. It evokes a wistful mood for me, a hushed story waiting to be told. Curator: That's insightful. Witsen had a knack for distilling a scene to its essence. His social circles often included artists from the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, and there are qualities in this work which definitely connect to this moment in Dutch art. Editor: I can see the influence. Look at how he plays with light and shadow across the facade of those buildings. There's a certain sketchiness which lends itself to the atmospheric feel, even though the medium is traditionally graphic. He's after an elusive and subtle realism, but without hyper detail. It’s beautiful. Curator: And those buildings are indeed very Rotterdam. Before the Second World War’s devastation, this part of the city retained a unique charm with these types of densely packed houses around a central canal. What is now a completely modern architectural city looked very different back then. Witsen manages to preserve a piece of history. Editor: And make us consider how much the city has lost... but then again, perhaps Rotterdam gained so much too? Witsen here reminds us about how cities can constantly evolve, and even as we reflect on this nostalgic image, Rotterdam continued on in a new guise after the war. The city lives! Curator: Precisely, it becomes a marker in time, a testament to the city's ever-changing narrative. It’s almost a form of visual memory. Editor: So much captured in a deceptively quiet image, then. It's a prompt to ponder on what the city was, what it is, and the ephemeral beauty of a particular time.