Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 10 verso c. 1915 - 1920

This piece called, 'Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 10 verso' was made by Willem Witsen. It’s an impression of a chalk drawing and to me, it whispers of process. What really grabs me is the texture, or almost the lack thereof, because it’s more like a ghost of a drawing. You can just barely make out these soft, reddish-brown smudges. The color is faint, almost like it’s trying to disappear. Look closely and you might see how certain areas are more defined, little clusters of chalk dust clinging on for dear life. It’s like the memory of a drawing. This piece reminds me of Cy Twombly, who was also interested in these subtle marks and gestures. But here, Witsen gives us something even more ephemeral. It's art as a trace, as a record of something that once was, inviting us to contemplate the transient nature of art itself.