Landschap met water bij maanlicht 1906 - 1907

Willem Witsen made this drawing with crayon; you can almost feel the texture of the paper coming through. The dominant mark is horizontal, like the flow of water, or maybe the wind whipping across a field at night. I wonder, did Witsen make this en plein air? I like to imagine him outside, squinting, trying to capture the essence of the landscape with quick, repetitive strokes. There’s something really brave about trying to capture moonlight – it’s so fleeting. The density of the crayon creates a sense of depth, with the upper portion feeling heavier, darker, like a mass of clouds. Then there's that little boat – or is it a reflection? It reminds me of Whistler's nocturnes, those moody, atmospheric landscapes that hover between representation and abstraction. Artists are always looking at each other, borrowing, stealing, conversing across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.