Portret van Amit c. 1921

Willem Witsen made this portrait of Amit with etching sometime between 1880 and 1923, and looking at it, I’m thinking about how mark-making is like thinking. Witsen's lines are so economical, it looks like he’s really *thinking* Amit onto the page. The texture is so immediate, especially in the cross-hatching that defines Amit's face and the folds of his head wrap. You can almost feel the burr of the etching needle on the plate. There's a real tension in the way Amit is looking straight at you. It reminds me of the portraits of his contemporaries by someone like Whistler, but where Whistler is all subtle and smooth, this is scratchy, direct and alive. It’s like Witsen is saying, “Here is Amit, take him as he is.” You know? Art isn't just about answers, it's about keeping the questions open.