Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 68 c. 1884 - 1887

This print, "Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 68", was made by Willem Witsen, sometime between 1880 and 1923, using an unspecified printing technique. Witsen lived and worked in the Netherlands in a period of great industrial expansion, when the country was seeking to expand its influence through colonial holdings. At the same time, a socialist movement was growing, seeking to address the problems of poverty and inequality brought about by industrialisation. Witsen was part of a group of artists and intellectuals who called themselves the "Tachtigers" or "Eighties Movement" who sought to promote individualism and emotionality in response to what they saw as the rigid and academic artistic standards that the establishment promoted. Prints such as these are often sketches and working documents, not intended for public display, but they allow us an insight into the mind of the artist, and their relationship with the art establishment. To learn more, consult the artist's letters, diaries, and other archival material of the period.