Zelfportret van Willem Witsen 1870 - 1923

This is Willem Witsen’s self-portrait, made with graphite on paper, and currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. The gaze, the way Witsen looks at us, is heavy and deep. The eyes, often called the windows to the soul, reveal introspection and perhaps a hint of melancholy. The power of the gaze has been a constant in art history. Think of the ancient Roman portraits, where the eyes were carved with such precision, meant to capture the essence and authority of the individual. The gaze in art is not merely a visual element; it’s a psychological bridge. The use of the gaze connects us to the past and present, and the way we interpret it continues to evolve with our understanding of human psychology. This self-portrait reminds us that every face, every gaze, carries a weight of history and emotion. It is a testament to our shared human experience, continuously reinterpreted across time.