Bebouwing 1901 - 1907

Willem Witsen made this sketch, Bebouwing, with pencil on paper. Imagine him, rapidly marking the page. You can almost see him out there in the landscape, making on-the-spot impressions. Witsen, and other artists like him, were trying to capture the feel of a place, using quick, expressive marks that seem to record the artist’s immediate experience. It’s like he’s asking, what does it mean to really see something? How much detail do you need before an impression becomes a convincing image? There’s something really raw about the sketch. It’s like Witsen is thinking out loud, using the pencil to trace the outlines of his thoughts. Artists are always having this silent conversation with each other and with themselves, picking up on each other’s ideas, and pushing them in new directions. And these dialogues across time are what keep art alive and kicking.