Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 56 1870 - 1923

This work, Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 56, was made by Willem Witsen with chalk in the Netherlands. It’s easy to overlook this modest chalk transfer, but in its own way it speaks to the institutional frameworks surrounding the creation and circulation of art. At this time, the Netherlands was witnessing the rise of art academies and societies, shaping artistic training and exhibition practices. This work is a transfer of a drawing, a process that allows for the reproduction and dissemination of images. In this context, we can understand the work as a commentary on the changing status of art in society, as it transitioned from a primarily aristocratic concern to a more democratic cultural practice. Understanding the meaning of a work like this requires that historians consult a range of period sources – exhibition catalogs, artists’ correspondence, and the archives of art institutions – in order to understand the changing status of art.