Architectuurstudies c. 1897 - 1898

Curator: Looking at Willem Witsen's "Architectuurstudies" from around 1897-1898, what first strikes you? It’s a work rendered in ink and pen, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Chaos! Utter, charming chaos! It looks like my sketchbook after a very strong cup of coffee, all these scribbles wanting to become something. Curator: Indeed. Consider that these "Architectuurstudies" aren't finished pieces, but rather explorations, glimpses into Witsen’s process. He was, of course, part of the Amsterdam Impressionism movement. How might these architectural sketches speak to that context? Editor: Well, Impressionism was all about capturing fleeting moments, right? And that's what these feel like – not rigid blueprints, but fleeting impressions of buildings. Quick ink gestures evoking light and shadow, like he's trying to bottle the essence of a place before it disappears. There’s a freedom here I really respond to. Curator: It’s fascinating how Witsen balances the technical with the emotional. He uses the tools of architectural drawing – perspective, line – but imbues them with this subjective, almost dreamy quality. Consider also Amsterdam’s rapidly changing urban landscape during this period. Witsen, from a privileged background, documented a city on the brink. Editor: Changing so fast it could disappear in front of your eyes, requiring the artist to just grasp its disappearing gestures. It’s interesting you bring up his background, because is this bourgeois boredom or true fascination with how cities evolve and swallow whole? Curator: That's a vital question to consider, always— the positionality of the artist. There is a clear connection between urban expansion, social upheaval, and artistic representation in that era, and understanding the impact on different classes within the city's context is key to unraveling potential commentary embedded in the work. Witsen often depicted quiet corners of the city; perhaps this sketch hints at that too, at looking past progress. Editor: Maybe! Or, and I like this reading better, these are love letters, scratched quickly onto paper, a tender archiving of a city he knows and holds. Thanks, Willem. Curator: Thank you, they reveal as much about ourselves as they do the artwork.