Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 14 c. 1886

Curator: Here we have Willem Witsen’s "Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 14," made around 1886. It’s currently held at the Rijksmuseum, a delicate work in ink on paper. Editor: Well, my first thought is it's ethereally ghostly. Almost feels like a landscape viewed through fog, or perhaps a memory struggling to surface. The monochromatic ink adds to that sense of distance, don't you think? Curator: I find it interesting how this 'Abklatsch', or copy, relates to Witsen's larger artistic project. Consider the implications of reproducing a drawing: what labor is involved in creating a copy versus the original? How does this relate to the rising market for prints and drawings at the time? Editor: Oh, absolutely, the concept of replication, of an image born from another image, layers into that dreamlike quality. Was Witsen concerned with fidelity here or exploring the nuances of the in-between space of an original and a copy? I’m thinking of it now almost like a photographic negative. Curator: It prompts us to rethink authorship too, perhaps. Is this copy an act of collaboration with the original creator of that chalk drawing, or a distinct work with its own material history? We see a similar approach to materials and process in contemporaries involved in etching and lithography as well. Editor: Looking closely, you notice that texture of the paper— almost like aged skin beneath the delicate ink marks. You can imagine Witsen's hand moving with a breathlike lightness. Curator: Exactly. Even this "copy" speaks volumes about 19th-century artistic practices and economies. Editor: A ghost indeed! And just like that, something faded awakens to haunt and maybe, subtly, alter how we perceive things!