Knielende figuren op het land c. 1882 - 1884

Willem Witsen made this drawing, "Kneeling Figures in the Field," with a graphite pencil on paper. Although undated, it likely comes from the late 19th or early 20th century in the Netherlands, a time when a new art found inspiration in the lives of rural workers. The sketch offers a glimpse into the lives of women engaged in agricultural labor. In Dutch art of this period, there's often a deliberate effort to depict ordinary people and their daily routines. Note the way the artist has not romanticized the subjects. Their clothing is rendered as dark, heavy masses, indicative of the hardships of working the land. To truly appreciate a work like this, we delve into the social and economic history of the Netherlands, the conditions of the laboring class, and the artistic movements that sought to represent them with such brutal honesty. It is through such research that we uncover the profound meaning embedded in the seemingly simple image.