Gezicht over de Rapenburgwal op de Montelbaanstoren c. 1912

Here's an etching of the Rapenburgwal on the Montelbaanstoren, made by Willem Witsen. I can almost feel Witsen there, pulling the image out of the metal, line by line, and proofing it, and pulling it again. What did he want to show us? In its quiet way, it’s so evocative. I bet Witsen was a good friend. The textures are amazing: look at the way the reflections in the water seem to move and break up the solid forms. See how the dark, bitten lines of the buildings contrast with the light of the sky? It makes me think of Whistler and other etchers of the period, who wanted to bring the sensibility of painting into the graphic arts. It’s like they were all having a conversation, pushing each other to see what etching could really do. Ultimately, it's not just about what's depicted but how it is depicted that makes this work so compelling.