Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 5 c. 1897 - 1910

Curator: Take a peek at this intriguing drawing, folks! It's titled "Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 5," which delightfully translates to something like "Print of the chalk drawing on page 5." Willem Witsen sketched this around 1897 to 1910. A real hidden gem from the Rijksmuseum’s collection! Editor: Immediately, I see the rough application of graphite. There is this rather dim, faded mood – like looking at something just barely recalled from memory. Curator: Spot on! Witsen employed a fascinating 'abklatsch' technique here - pressing paper onto the original chalk drawing, transferring a mirror image in reverse! This particular example looks more immediate, like it just happened... I mean, the impression does, somehow. Editor: Absolutely. The figure, seemingly recumbent or perhaps caught in mid-movement, offers a complex semiotic puzzle. The dark graphite almost resists giving shape to the legs and feet in particular. Curator: I love the idea of capturing the essence of something, like a fleeting feeling or half-formed thought. With this technique, it becomes something else entirely… kind of like a song! But, instead of a remix, this feels… raw. Editor: The medium, that is the pencil work, reveals a structural fragility. Yet there is a robustness created with a balance of form that captures both weight and volume simultaneously, so the human form remains present, powerful, and heavy on the paper despite its ethereality. Curator: And who *is* this person? One starts wondering... Was it a study for something bigger or just one of his spontaneous, restless bursts of creative energy, captured only for himself and a few close friends? The Rijksmuseum does not reveal more about this individual. I really want to know their story! Editor: Stories lie not in definitive answers, but in visual propositions like these— incomplete and prompting endless visual dialogues within us. This pencil is the silent yet articulate character. Curator: True enough. Next time you reach for a pencil, maybe think about how you might capture not just a likeness but an echo, like Willem did! Editor: Agreed. And for anyone still trying to discern a precise meaning, perhaps it's in the resistance itself —in what the pencil both reveals and conceals.