Portret van Jan Hofker c. 1906

This is a portrait of Jan Hofker by Willem Witsen, etched in monochrome shades. I can imagine Witsen bending over the plate, scratching with his needle, building up the image line by line. Look at the direction of the marks, they follow the contours of his face, defining the planes and volumes. The way the lines cluster creates a sense of depth. It makes me think about all the decisions Witsen had to make. Where to add pressure, where to lift off, how to build up tone and texture. It’s like a dance, a conversation between the artist and the material. I’m thinking about Whistler, and other etchers of the period. They were all part of a community, sharing ideas, pushing the boundaries of the medium, trying to capture a likeness. Each mark echoes another. It reminds me that art-making is a big conversation through time. It invites us to pause, reflect, and connect with the artist's vision.