Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 46 c. 1886

This image shows a sketch made by Willem Witsen. We observe a composition of a dimly lit interior with large window panes, and a bridge or similar construction outside. The window here acts as a potent symbol. Windows in art are more than mere architectural features; they serve as thresholds between the known and the unknown, the internal and external. Think of Caspar David Friedrich's "Woman at a Window," where the window frames a longing for the outside world. Witsen’s window connects the interior with an exterior landscape that could exist anywhere and at any time. This act of framing the world external to the viewer brings into focus a tension, and an emotional state related to the human longing for what lies beyond our immediate grasp. The view from the window invites us to contemplate our place in the world.