Annotaties c. 1887 - 1920

Willem Witsen created this page of annotations with ink on paper. At first glance, it appears to be a mundane list of items and numbers. However, within these calculations and annotations, we find something more profound, a symbolic bridge connecting the mundane to the timeless. Observe how the act of writing itself becomes a symbolic gesture. It's reminiscent of ancient scribes meticulously documenting their world. Consider the recurring motifs of listing and quantifying. These resonate with earlier forms of accounting in ancient civilizations. The columns of numbers echo the same human impulse to bring order to chaos, mirroring the patterns seen in cosmological charts of the Renaissance. Even the corrections and scribbles carry a psychological weight, reflecting the artist's thought process and the struggle for precision, a motif as old as art itself. This humble page captures the essence of human endeavor, echoing across centuries.