Rijtuigen bij Waterloo Bridge te Londen, ter hoogte van het Somerset House 1888 - 1890

Editor: We're looking at "Carriages by Waterloo Bridge in London, near Somerset House" by Willem Witsen, made between 1888 and 1890. It appears to be an ink sketch, probably from a personal sketchbook. The loose lines and almost chaotic composition give it a feeling of bustling city life. What do you see in this piece, focusing on the formal elements? Curator: The beauty lies precisely in what you’ve described: that “chaotic composition.” Observe how Witsen uses line – thin, broken, frenetic – to convey movement. Notice how the perspective, though present, is deliberately skewed, creating a shallow depth of field. It flattens the image, emphasizing the surface and the materiality of the ink on paper. Are you seeing how the sketch isn't trying to recreate a photographically accurate reality? Editor: I see that now. It’s almost like he’s deconstructing the scene, focusing on fragments rather than a cohesive whole. The eye jumps around, trying to assemble the image. It almost anticipates Cubism in a way. Curator: Precisely. And consider the limited tonal range. Witsen eschews subtle gradations in favor of stark contrasts, emphasizing the graphic quality of the sketch. The dominance of line over shading contributes to this sense of immediacy and spontaneity. There's a rawness that a more finished work would lack. The medium becomes the message, so to speak. What impact do you think this rawness makes in communicating to its audience? Editor: I think that the feeling of “unfinished-ness” is crucial to the work’s impact. The incomplete look allows the viewer’s mind to fill in the blanks, becoming active in its interpretation, thereby becoming more immersive. I understand how line quality is used to define the movement and volume in the piece. It really changes how I view sketches! Curator: Agreed, these deliberate "deficiencies" actually become strengths, emphasizing process and perception over pure representation.