Nachtelijk gezicht op het Damrak c. 1905 - 1906

"Nachtelijk gezicht op het Damrak" (Nocturnal View of the Damrak) is a 1905-1906 etching by Dutch artist Willem Witsen, depicting the Damrak canal in Amsterdam at night. The work, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, showcases Witsen's mastery of atmospheric perspective, with a subtle interplay of light and shadow that captures the mood of a quiet evening. The buildings along the canal are rendered in stark silhouettes, with the only light source being a single lamppost that casts a warm glow on the water. The etching's dark tones and moody atmosphere are characteristic of Witsen's oeuvre, which often depicted the lives and landscapes of the Dutch working class.