Italiaanse namen, mogelijk van Venetiaanse kerken Possibly 1914 - 1916

Willem Witsen made this page, possibly from a sketchbook, using graphite and ink. It’s mostly blank, which is interesting in itself. It’s like looking at the potential for a drawing, rather than a finished piece. The paper has a slightly mottled texture, like handmade paper, and it’s got a warm, creamy tone. You can see the faint traces of graphite, like ghostly underdrawings, or maybe just the residue of the artist’s hand as he was thinking and planning. In the top right corner, there’s some faded ink writing – those Italian names, maybe of Venetian churches, which gives you a clue about Witsen’s intentions. I think of Agnes Martin, who also explored the beauty of understatement and the power of suggestion. This piece is about the art of seeing, and the beauty of the incomplete.