Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 40 1893 - 1897

Willem Witsen made this print, a transfer of a chalk drawing, most likely in the late 19th or early 20th century in the Netherlands. The image is difficult to make out, but it seems to represent a tree, or perhaps a tall ship mast. Witsen belonged to a group of Dutch artists known as the Amsterdam Impressionists. This group turned away from the dominant styles in the art academies, and instead preferred to paint scenes of everyday life. The flatness and visible printing process reflect the changing social status of art. In the late 19th century, art was no longer seen as a tool of the aristocracy. Art was becoming more accessible, a commodity available to the rising middle class. The artist was also changing, no longer necessarily commissioned by wealthy patrons. The democratization of art allowed artists to be more experimental and capture their fleeting impressions of life. To understand this work fully, we can turn to the history of printmaking and the rise of Impressionism. These provide a framework for understanding the artist's choices and how those choices reflect broader social and cultural shifts.