Woning in Bogor met een berg op de achtergrond c. 1921

Curator: Willem Witsen created this pencil drawing, "Woning in Bogor met een berg op de achtergrond," around 1921. It's currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, it’s hushed, isn’t it? All those soft greys. The composition makes me feel like I'm peeking through foliage into a secret garden. Curator: Witsen's choice of pencil on paper immediately directs our attention to the hand of the artist, doesn't it? We see labor reflected in those intricate strokes building the composition. Editor: True, there’s something raw and intimate about pencil – so immediate. You see that hazy mountain in the back, dwarfing everything? It feels like a memory, or a dream half-recalled. Curator: The subject matter—a house in Bogor—invites consideration of Dutch colonialism. How does representing the built environment serve ideological or social ends in the context of landscape art? Editor: Hmmm. Colonial gaze. It’s possible. But maybe he just saw a house and a nice mountain and thought, "Yeah, I want to draw that." It's beautifully rendered regardless, almost like looking at a faded photograph from a relative's travels. Curator: The sheer density of pencil strokes builds up shadow and volume, shaping how the light interacts with these structures. Considering this landscape as commodity prompts us to think about production in Witsen's practice and the conditions within Dutch colonies. Editor: I'm just basking in the atmosphere of it all. That thatched roof... I want to sit on that porch and listen to cicadas. Curator: So you’re drawn to the aesthetic, then? The textures and interplay of light? Editor: Absolutely. Although thinking about the politics of where the scene sits definitely complicates the peace that I derive from this drawing. It feels important to consider all aspects. Curator: Indeed, let us carry those complexities as we move forward. Editor: Well put. Ready for the next piece then.