Brug bij het Campo Sant'Angelo te Venetië 1914

This is a drawing by Willem Witsen of a bridge near the Campo Sant' Angelo in Venice, made sometime between 1860 and 1923. It's so immediate, isn't it? I imagine Witsen standing there, sketchbook in hand, quickly capturing the scene with these light, airy pencil lines. See how he suggests the water with just a few scribbles? I can almost feel the Venetian sunlight bouncing off the buildings. The bridge itself is rendered with such delicate precision, but then he lets his hand get looser with the figures on the bridge and in the boat. It’s like he's saying, "I'm not going to get bogged down in the details, I just want to capture the feeling of this place." It reminds me of some of Whistler's Venetian sketches. They share that same kind of understated elegance and a focus on atmosphere over detail. You can feel the artist's presence. It's like they're inviting you to experience Venice alongside them.