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

Willem Witsen made this etching of a miller in a Wijk bij Duurstede corn mill, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. It’s all about these wonderfully scratchy marks, isn't it? The whole image is built up from these lines, which give it this rough and ready feeling. What I love about the piece is the way he uses these lines, all going in different directions to create such a sense of depth. You can almost smell the dust in the air, feel the rough texture of the sacks. Look how he captures the light streaming in through the doorway. The lines around the miller’s hands and the sack he’s tying are so detailed, you can almost see him working. It reminds me a little of Millet, all those images of rural life, but with a slightly more modern sensibility. It’s that kind of work that makes you think about art as a conversation, ideas bouncing back and forth between artists over time.