Buste van een jongen 1906 - 1907

Willem Witsen made this drawing of a young boy with crayon, at some point. The sketchy lines create a sense of movement and immediacy, capturing a fleeting moment, which is nice. It's like Witsen is thinking on the paper. You can almost see him circling around the face trying to get it just right. I'm really drawn to the contrast between the dark, scribbled lines around the face and the softer, smudged areas that define the boy's features. It’s like he’s built this figure from an energetic void, dragging it into the light. Look at the eyes, dark pools that draw you in. Then notice how he uses these darker lines to frame the face, contrasting with the open space around it. It reminds me of some of Kollwitz’s charcoal drawings, where the stark contrasts amplify the emotional weight of the image. Ultimately, I think this piece highlights how much a simple sketch can convey. It’s not about perfect representation, but about capturing a feeling.