Gezicht op de Oudezijds Achterburgwal te Amsterdam, ter hoogte van de Oudezijds Kolk c. 1897

Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the density. The sheer number of windows! There’s an almost frantic energy to the mark-making here. Editor: This is "View of the Oudezijds Achterburgwal in Amsterdam, at the level of the Oudezijds Kolk," created circa 1897 by Willem Witsen. It’s a pencil drawing currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. The scene depicts a view in Amsterdam Curator: I am fascinated by the symbolic resonance of urban environments like this. Every window signifies a potential story, an individual life stacked upon another. It evokes that feeling of both connection and alienation so characteristic of city living. Do you know if there were certain neighbourhoods in Amsterdam, such as this, more desirable than others? Editor: Certainly. By the late 19th century, the Oudezijds Achterburgwal had become a more working-class area. Witsen often depicted these scenes of everyday urban life, reflecting a shift away from more traditional, romanticized landscapes. He wanted to show the city as it really was, without idealizing. There were issues, you see. The sanitation, poverty and overpopulation, this piece represents this cultural period perfectly. Curator: And that's reflected in the starkness of the drawing, the lack of ornamentation. Pencil is such a direct medium, perfect for capturing that immediacy. The texture makes this a city full of secrets. There is also text to the top right, but also integrated within the composition itself? Is there anything known of why Witsen would add in a text to the work? Editor: Well, scholars haven't studied every marking on Witsen's sketches, as some appear to just be random thoughts. Many artist did not want the outside viewer reading notes such as these as they were usually notes regarding paint color mixing, dimensions or reminders, as we see today when sketching Curator: A reminder that art serves as an echo of its time. Thank you, Editor. This work really resonates as more than just a sketch; it's a symbol of transition. Editor: Precisely, It encapsulates the evolving identity of a city and its people as industrialization and urbanization took root, capturing a moment in Amsterdam's history, rendered with immediacy and unfiltered vision.