Gezicht op de Sint Antoniesluis in Amsterdam c. 1911

Willem Witsen made this etching, of a view of the Sint Antoniesluis in Amsterdam, sometime around the turn of the last century. It's interesting to think about how an artist chooses to represent a scene, and how that choice reflects a certain way of seeing. Witsen’s image is all about atmosphere. The surface is worked with these tiny, delicate lines that create a sense of depth and texture. The lines in the sky are almost like rain. And the way he captures the light reflecting off the water makes the scene so evocative. Look how the buildings are scratched into the plate, a web of lines that gives them a solid presence. It's a reminder that the world is built up from marks and gestures. There is a real dance between precision and looseness in the way he renders the reflections in the water, capturing the feeling of a transient moment. I think of Whistler's nocturnes or the etchings of Canaletto, both artists who understood the power of suggestion and the beauty of a well-placed line. Ultimately, this piece is about embracing the ephemeral nature of life, and the beauty that can be found in fleeting moments.