Huizenrij met bomen in Amsterdam 1870 - 1923

Curator: Willem Witsen's pen and ink drawing, “Huizenrij met bomen in Amsterdam,” likely created sometime between 1870 and 1923. The work currently resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the somber mood, despite it being a simple cityscape. The starkness of the pen strokes and the almost skeletal trees evoke a sense of melancholy, wouldn’t you say? Curator: Absolutely. Amsterdam at this time faced significant social changes as industrialization altered its urban fabric. The bare trees could symbolize the disruptive impact of these shifts, reflecting a feeling of loss tied to the vanishing natural landscape amidst expanding urban development. Witsen was also involved in social reform movements... Editor: Interesting! The lines feel hurried, almost desperate. Look at how the houses are rendered—boxy and imposing, yet somehow frail. Houses have been a recurring visual symbol across many cultural traditions. Is there a resonance with societal structure or the inner self? The stark pen strokes seem to hint at a more complex understanding. Curator: Precisely! Consider the rigid societal norms that defined Amsterdam during this period. These structures could represent those constraints, looming over individuals like the spindly trees trying to reach skyward. The work prompts viewers to contemplate who thrived and who struggled under these historical circumstances, what types of lives they led, and how those structures are linked with other forms of domination in our current era. Editor: I also sense something autobiographical here. Perhaps Witsen felt confined or uprooted by these changing times. Are we witnessing a kind of visual elegy? Curator: I agree with your insight about possible autobiography. Further research on his other landscape sketches might clarify if there's a recurring critique of societal or spatial restrictions within his body of work. Also, this will help understand what that may symbolize. Editor: Thank you. It’s been enlightening to analyze Witsen's work through the lens of urban history and personal expression! Curator: Indeed! This piece certainly makes one pause and reflect on the complexities of urban existence through time.