Studies 1874 - 1923

Willem Witsen created this sheet of studies in pencil, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. What might seem like a humble sketch page actually invites us to consider the labor inherent in artistic practice. The faint lines, almost ghost-like, reveal the artist's process of observing, experimenting, and refining his vision. Pencil, a seemingly simple tool, has its own story to tell, connecting to the industrial processes that made graphite widely available. The paper itself, a mass-produced commodity, underscores the connection between art and the wider economy. Ultimately, these 'studies' remind us that even the most fleeting artistic gestures are rooted in material conditions and represent concentrated applications of effort. They blur the line between the artistic idea and its grounding in the everyday.