Gezicht op de Voorstraatshaven te Dordrecht c. 1898 - 1900

This sketch of the Voorstraatshaven in Dordrecht was created by Willem Witsen using graphite on paper. The composition is fragmented, capturing the essence of the urban landscape through a network of lines and shapes. It's a symphony of structure, a language of form, reduced to its most elemental parts. Witsen uses a matrix of lines to define the architectural forms—windows, buildings, and rooftops—fragmenting the coherent image into a web of semiotic potential. The work challenges fixed meanings and engages with new ways of thinking about representation. We see an exploration of space and perception that is both intimate and detached. It suggests an underlying structure of urban life, decoded and rendered in a highly individualistic style. The sketch, with its stark simplicity, reflects not only the physical appearance of Dordrecht but also a broader artistic concern with how we perceive and represent the world around us. It destabilizes established meanings and offers a new perspective through its raw and unfiltered lens.