Studie c. 1892 - 1897

Editor: This is "Studie," a pencil and watercolor drawing on paper by Willem Witsen, from around 1892 to 1897. It looks like a study of a face. I’m immediately drawn to how unfinished it seems, yet it still manages to convey so much with just a few lines. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's as if Witsen caught a fleeting glimpse of a soul, isn't it? The delicate lines almost breathe with the potential of a fully realized portrait, but he holds back, leaving us suspended in a moment of contemplation. To me, it speaks volumes about the creative process itself – the tentative first steps, the whispered possibilities. I feel an unfinished quality here, like a daydream on paper. The minimalism really emphasizes the face. Do you think that this is intended as more than a practice piece? Editor: That's a lovely thought - a daydream on paper! I hadn't considered it as a comment on the creative process. I assumed it was purely an exercise, a sketch before a larger work. Maybe that assumption says more about my perception than the art itself. Curator: Precisely! And isn’t that the beauty of art? It becomes a mirror reflecting our own assumptions, desires, and anxieties. Look at the economy of line. It is quite daring in its simplicity. Makes me think about when I start sketching - there is the first nervous mark, then a bold assured gesture. Editor: Absolutely. It’s interesting to think that something so seemingly simple can hold so many layers. I’ll definitely be looking at sketches differently from now on. Curator: I know I will, too. Next time I make a spontaneous doodle on some piece of paper, I´ll make sure to keep it for myself. Perhaps there's more in that smudge than I think!