Bosgezicht c. 1884 - 1887

Curator: Here we have Willem Witsen's "Bosgezicht," a graphite drawing dating from around 1884 to 1887. It currently resides here at the Rijksmuseum. What are your first thoughts on this evocative piece? Editor: It feels like a memory fading—you know, those times when you're trying to grasp onto a feeling, a place, but the details keep slipping away. It's like a half-remembered dream of walking through the woods. Curator: That’s an interesting take. I think Witsen here engages with the 19th-century interest in portraying nature as a subjective experience, differing from, say, the meticulously rendered landscapes of the Dutch Golden Age, right? Editor: Right. Those old landscapes, so formal, so controlled! Here, it’s almost scribbled, full of energy, not afraid to be unfinished. It embraces the ephemerality, the fleeting nature of our encounters with the world. It even reminds me of the fleeting human presence of his friend Breitner! Curator: Witsen’s connection to the Amsterdam Impressionism movement certainly influenced his capturing of atmosphere and transient moments. We can even compare it to some Northern Renaissance drawings and engravings with the detail. Do you feel it succeeds? Editor: Absolutely. Look at the almost vibrating quality of the lines—especially those bare trees. It conveys the chill of the woods, the stark beauty before spring. Curator: Witsen was interested in printmaking and the possibilities it offered for depicting modern urban life and nature and these can all be identified as clear interests by looking at this piece. This study encapsulates his interest in simplified forms. Editor: Yes, and despite its seeming simplicity, it packs an emotional punch. Makes me wanna go wander in the woods and scribble my own fleeting impressions. You feel how personal it is... Curator: Ultimately, Witsen’s “Bosgezicht” offers a compelling perspective on how nature could be reimagined during a period of intense social and artistic change. Editor: Absolutely. It's a small glimpse, a moment in time, rendered with such sensitivity that it speaks volumes. A forest whisper on paper.