Molenaar in de korenmolen van Wijk bij Duurstede knoopt een zak dicht c. 1908

Willem Witsen made this etching, "Molenaar in de korenmolen van Wijk bij Duurstede knoopt een zak dicht," or "Miller in the Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede Tying a Sack," with his skillful and delicate lines. Imagine Witsen in this windmill, breathing in the dusty air, capturing the scene of labor and daily life. I wonder if he felt the weight of those sacks too, the quiet rhythm of the miller's work. There’s a certain intimacy in the way Witsen renders the interior space, the play of light and shadow creating a sense of depth and texture. You can almost feel the rough grain of the wooden beams, the coarse fabric of the sacks. The way the artist used the etching needle is beautiful, each mark carefully considered. The composition pulls you in, the miller's focused expression drawing you into his world. It reminds me of other Dutch painters, like Breitner, who found beauty in the everyday. Artists are always talking to one another across time; I love that.