Aardappelrooiers c. 1887

Editor: Here we have "Aardappelrooiers," or "Potato Diggers," a charcoal and pencil drawing from around 1887 by Willem Witsen, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. There's something so stark and…grounded about it, capturing labor in such simple lines. What jumps out at you when you look at this sketch? Curator: Oh, the weight of it! The physical toll rendered with such light touches. You know, Witsen, like so many artists of his time, was wrestling with representing the 'real' – the lives of ordinary folk. It's more than just observation; it's empathy etched onto paper. Do you feel that closeness, that intimacy with the diggers themselves? Editor: I think so. The lack of detail somehow brings them closer. But what’s your take on the… well, the sheer emptiness of the background? Curator: The void! Exactly. That's where Witsen invites us in, I reckon. It's a stage, see? And these figures aren't just working, they're performing, bearing witness to the unending cycle of toil. It’s almost a haiku in charcoal, isn't it? Capturing a world in a few deft strokes. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it like that - a performance. It feels more… somber than theatrical. Curator: Perhaps! But aren't we always performing, in some way? Especially when someone like Witsen comes along and fixes us with his gaze. It transforms life, just a touch, into something deliberately observed, something... meaningful. Editor: That's fascinating. I’ll never look at a simple landscape the same way. Curator: Isn’t art grand? It is always offering new lenses through which to perceive and feel.