Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 112 1888 - 1907

Curator: Here we have a sketch, titled *Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 112*, made with drawing on paper. It was created sometime between 1888 and 1907 by Willem Witsen. Editor: Well, my immediate reaction is… emptiness. The monochrome palette certainly contributes, but it’s more than that; the overall composition evokes a sense of something missing, a kind of absence. Curator: That's perceptive. Consider that the title translates roughly to “Copy of the chalk drawing on page 112”. It’s a trace, an echo. We're looking at a secondary image, referencing a primary one which is now lost or elsewhere. The visible becomes a poignant signifier of what is invisible. Editor: It's intriguing how that knowledge reshapes the visual experience. Before, the space felt passive, almost blank. But knowing it's a copy transforms it into a record of the original, imbued with the essence, the very material memory, of the first drawing. The grain of the paper takes on a new significance. Curator: Precisely. In a time before digital reproduction, making such a copy served important cultural functions: preserving imagery, making it portable, transforming an individual experience into a collective memory. Also, the method gives importance to process, it´s almost ritualistic Editor: Yes, and this piece invites us to reflect on originality, and the shifting value of copies throughout history. In an age saturated with instantly replicable images, there's a strange allure to seeing this kind of analog record. Curator: Looking closely, I also think about the hand that transferred the image. It connects us to a moment when copying was not merely reproduction but a physical and mindful recreation. A devotion, almost. Editor: Absolutely. The formal limitations become its strengths. By virtue of its relative minimalism, we're directed to consider all these layers of representation and what gets amplified—and what is inevitably lost—in translation. A reminder that every artistic choice holds resonance beyond what we see. Curator: A thought-provoking dance of presence and absence then, which is what makes experiencing the image more interesting. Editor: Indeed. I came expecting nothing, but now, the page speaks volumes.