Gezicht op de Krom Boomssloot 71 1906

Willem Witsen made this print of Gezicht op de Krom Boomssloot 71, we don’t know exactly when. The scene is rendered with so much sensitive detail, it’s like Witsen was right there, feeling the stillness of the scene. You can imagine him, carefully etching each line, building up the image bit by bit. The light catching the windows, the slight curve of the cobblestones – it’s all so delicately observed. I think of the American painter, James McNeill Whistler. They were peers, contemporaries. Both had this ability to capture the quiet beauty of everyday life. There’s a real sense of intimacy here. It feels like Witsen wasn’t just recording a scene but trying to capture the essence of a place. And in that way he invites us to slow down, to look closely, and to find beauty in the ordinary. That’s something that all artists strive for, isn’t it? To see the world with fresh eyes, and to share that vision with others.