Gezicht vanonder de Visbrug aan de Voorstraatshaven te Dordrecht c. 1898 - 1899

Editor: So, this is "Gezicht vanonder de Visbrug aan de Voorstraatshaven te Dordrecht" by Willem Witsen, dating back to around 1898-1899. It’s a drawing on paper, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The sketchiness almost feels like a fleeting moment captured, and it’s hard to ignore the almost frantic quality of the lines, and I can see this piece involves materials such as paper, pencil, and pen. What draws your attention when you look at it? Curator: I find it fascinating to consider the materiality of this sketch in the context of Witsen's broader artistic practice. This isn't just a pretty picture; it’s evidence of labor. Notice how the rapid strokes suggest the artist grappling with the immediacy of the scene, and the roughness of the sketch reveals the hands-on process, and how Witsen might have valued the physical act of mark-making over traditional artistic polish. Do you see the relationship to labor in other elements within this drawing? Editor: I guess I do; there is the representation of structures of Dordrecht. It seems he carefully tried to reflect a natural representation with whatever materials available. Are there connections with similar sketches made in that time? Curator: Precisely! We need to also ask ourselves: who had access to these materials at the time, and who was documenting these specific aspects of city life? The ability to wander and sketch like this speaks to a certain class position and relationship to labor. What story does the materiality tell about the broader social context? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way before. So, it's not just the *what* is depicted, but also *how* it's depicted and with what means. Curator: Exactly! It makes us question the consumption and production that makes that very depiction possible. A simple sketch suddenly becomes loaded with meaning. Editor: That’s a very interesting consideration of how material realities can add so much to our understanding.