Besneeuwd bos c. 1906 - 1908

Willem Witsen made this print of a snow-covered forest, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. Looking at it, I imagine the artist out there in the cold, bundled up, squinting at the scene before him. The forest is rendered with delicate, scratchy lines that capture the bare trees and the subtle textures of the snow. You can almost feel the stillness and quiet of the winter landscape. Witsen’s marks capture the scene's stark beauty. The roots of the trees spread like dark veins across the snow, and the trunks rise up like silent witnesses. It makes me think of other artists who’ve tried to capture the essence of a place, like the Barbizon school painters. There’s a real sense of observation and a deep appreciation for the natural world. Ultimately, painting, like printmaking, is a conversation across time, with artists responding to what came before while forging their own path.