Drie vrouwen op een brug in wind en regen 1891

Willem Witsen created this etching, titled "Three Women on a Bridge in Wind and Rain," in 1891. The image depicts three figures battling the elements in what is likely Amsterdam. Witsen was part of a group known as the Amsterdam Impressionists, who focused on urban life and the everyday experiences of its inhabitants. His choice of subject matter—ordinary women in a blustery city—reflects a broader trend in late 19th-century art to depict modern life as it was lived by ordinary people, not just the wealthy or powerful. Consider the social context: The Netherlands was undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. Artists like Witsen were capturing the changing face of the country, the lives of its people, and their relationship to the built environment. By examining period photographs, newspapers, and social surveys, we can better understand the world that Witsen captured and the social role that art played in documenting and interpreting it.