Twee figuren bij huizen aan een rivier in Batavia c. 1921

Willem Witsen created this print of two figures near houses along a river in Batavia using etching, a process that leaves visible lines. Look at the etched lines, especially in the water. See how they curve and overlap? It's like Witsen is thinking through the image, allowing the lines to find their own way, much like jazz. This isn't about perfect representation; it's about the joy of mark-making. The physical act of etching—digging into a plate and letting the acid do its work—is a process of controlled chance. There’s an alchemy to it. The texture of the lines varies, some are deep and dark, others are light and scratchy. They bring a certain moodiness to the scene. Witsen was part of a generation of artists who, like Whistler, were finding beauty in the everyday, and he invites us to see the world not as a fixed image, but as an ongoing, evolving process. Just like life.