Gezicht op Trafalgar Square en Northumberland Ave met The Grand te Londen 1888 - 1891

Editor: Here we have Willem Witsen's "Gezicht op Trafalgar Square en Northumberland Ave met The Grand te Londen," created between 1888 and 1891. It’s a drawing, pencil on paper, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. I’m struck by the unfinished quality, a glimpse of a bustling city caught in a fleeting moment. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s wonderfully intimate, isn’t it? Like stumbling upon a page ripped from the artist's personal sketchbook. I love that rawness. The energy is almost palpable, the way he captures the grandeur of London, but with these hasty, searching lines. It reminds me of being in a new city, that sensory overload trying to translate into something cohesive. Do you ever get that feeling looking at it? Editor: Absolutely! It’s like he’s trying to contain the chaos of the city within the frame. It’s not polished, and that's what’s compelling. Almost vulnerable. Curator: Precisely! And that vulnerability gives it a sense of honesty, doesn’t it? I imagine Witsen standing there, sketchbook in hand, bombarded by sights and sounds, trying to distil it all. It makes me wonder what was particularly appealing in that specific slice of the city…what caught his roving eye? It’s so interesting to me, and invites us to make our own mind movies! Editor: It definitely makes you consider the artist’s perspective, the specific things he chose to highlight and leave out. Curator: And perhaps it even asks us to think about what WE see…what are we missing when we just take a snapshot versus pouring over a detailed image… the hidden cityscapes only he gets to unveil, which we now can get a glimpse of! It feels very intimate. Editor: I never considered the vulnerability, or his immediate intentions but this gives me more to reflect on, especially how much intention really comes to play with sketching. Curator: Absolutely! Maybe now you can explore his more “finished works” too and compare his process further.