Gezicht op een ruïne in San Francisco c. 1915 - 1919

Willem Witsen created this work, "Gezicht op een ruïne in San Francisco", using etching. Notice the dominance of horizontal and vertical lines that create a scene of architectural and natural decay. The etching's composition is structured around the ruin, its arches mirroring the reflections in the water. The limited palette of sepia tones gives the work a melancholic atmosphere, highlighting the textures of weathered stone and still water. Witsen destabilizes the traditional landscape by focusing on urban decay, reflecting broader fin-de-siècle anxieties about modernity and change. This choice challenges fixed ideas of beauty and progress. The etched lines capture a moment of entropy. Consider how the form and structure of Witsen's etching draw attention to the fragility of human constructs against the enduring backdrop of nature. His work functions as a visual inquiry into the themes of time, impermanence, and the shifting relationship between humanity and the built environment.