Gezicht op huizen en een brug in Amsterdam c. 1915 - 1919

This is Willem Witsen’s ‘Gezicht op huizen en een brug in Amsterdam’, it's an etching and the date is unknown. I love the graphic quality; the lines are so sharp, almost architectural. You can feel him building up the image, scratch by scratch. Look at the water, how it ripples with tiny, confident strokes. It’s not about capturing every detail, but creating a feeling, an atmosphere. The muted tones give it a sense of nostalgia, like a faded photograph. I wonder what Amsterdam was like back then. This piece reminds me a little bit of Whistler, that same interest in light and shadow, the urban landscape as a subject, though Witsen feels a bit more grounded, less romantic. Ultimately, what makes art exciting is the conversation it sparks, the way it connects us to different times and places. There’s no right or wrong way to see it, just your own experience.