Landschap in Nederlands-Indië Possibly 1920 - 1924

Willem Witsen drew this landscape in the Dutch East Indies with graphite on paper. Isn’t it curious how the artist patiently worked to build up the image using only pencil? You can imagine Witsen outdoors, carefully observing and slowly layering marks to create depth and texture. The mountains in the background, the dense vegetation in the middle ground, and the open field in the foreground each have distinct graphite densities that imply space. I wonder, was he thinking about other landscape painters like Jacob van Ruisdael while making this? I imagine him considering the Old Masters, but still trying to make something entirely new. This work feels like a study in looking, seeing, and feeling. Art making is often an act of translation, so perhaps Witsen found the perfect way to capture the light and atmosphere of this landscape through the humble and subtle medium of graphite.