Molenaar bij een zak meel c. 1910 - 1911

Willem Witsen made this artwork, Molenaar bij een zak meel, with etching. It's all about the mood, isn't it? A symphony of browns and grays, Witsen coaxes out the subtle drama of light in what looks like a mill interior. Look at the way the lines define the shapes – those heavy sacks of meal, the worker himself, bent over his task. There’s a rhythm in the repetition of marks, a kind of visual echo that reverberates throughout the piece. The textures he creates are so tactile; you can almost feel the rough grain of the wood, the coarse fabric of the sacks. See that spot of light catching the miller's shoulder? It’s like a tiny spotlight, drawing us to the human presence amid the machinery. This piece reminds me a little of Whistler’s nocturnes, that same interest in capturing a fleeting moment, a particular atmosphere. Like a poem, it embraces ambiguity, inviting us to linger and dream.