Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 11 c. 1884 - 1887

This is a transfer print by Willem Witsen, created at an unknown date, and presented as an open book. The overall effect is of ghostliness and decay. Light reflects off the right-hand page which is relatively bare, save for its foxing stains and natural impurities. The left page features an abstract arrangement of dark powdery deposits, clustered into two distinct formations with an apparent absence of intentional design. We might read these marks as an erasure or a refusal. The print destabilizes traditional notions of artistic creation by embracing chance and imperfection. These amorphous shapes challenge the viewer to find recognizable forms, blurring the line between representation and abstraction. Witsen seems to question the very essence of the art object, hinting at themes of transience and entropy. He engages with the philosophical discourse surrounding authenticity, originality, and the role of the artist in an age of mechanical reproduction. The texture of the paper, combined with the blurred impressions, underscores the ephemeral nature of the image, making it a potent symbol of memory and loss.