Gezicht op huizen en begroeiing in Buitenzorg c. 1921

Willem Witsen made this etching of houses and plants in Buitenzorg, now known as Bogor, Indonesia, using ink on paper. When I look at the density of line, the sheer amount of hatching, it makes me think of the kind of labor involved in making an etching. I imagine Witsen bent over his plate, slowly building up the image, one line at a time. There is a real sense of looking, taking time, and describing the world meticulously. The landscape teems with life, full of the kinds of details that suggest a humid atmosphere and lush vegetation. And yet, for all that detail, the image is strangely still, maybe even silent. I feel like Witsen, and other artists like him, are in this ongoing conversation about how to capture a sense of place, a certain feeling, or even a mood. I think this piece celebrates the act of looking and the slow, deliberate process of turning observations into art.