Top:
Willem Witsen, 1860 – 1923
‘Voorstraathaven VI, Dordrecht (1900)’, etching, 28 x 30,5 cm
Willem Witsen was a Dutch painter and photographer associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement. Witsen's work, influenced by James McNeill Whistler, often portrayed calm urban landscapes as well as agricultural scenes. He also created portraits and photographs of prominent figures of the Amsterdam art world, as well as other artists, such as French Symbolist poet Paul Verlaine.
“About that etching! Yes, that is a curious and interesting job if you get to know the profession and have a feeling for it. What makes me so excited is that no matter how you work and slog, bite and grind and knock, copper will never let you down and your etching will never have to lose its freshness due to the great resistance of the metal, as long as you don't don't lose your freshness yourself. But usually an etching, precisely because of the quasi unmanageability of the copper, is let go much too quickly. When you come here I'll show you all the states of that last etching; that's quite a story!'
(From a letter from Willem Witsen to his friend the Dutch writer Arthur van Schendel)
Center:
Max Liebermann, 1847 – 1935
‘Im Park’, etching 16,7 x 19 cm
Max Liebermann was a German painter, graphic artist, pastellist and illustrator. He was also professor at the Königliche Akademie der Künste in Berlin and president of the Preußische Akademie der Künste also in Berlin. A transition from realism to impressionism is visible in his work.
Bottom:
Nicolaas van der Waay, 1865 – 1936
‘Looking at art’, etching 17,5 x 23,2 cm
Nicolaas van der Waay was a Dutch painter, watercolourist, draftsman, lithographer and etcher. He worked between 1870 and 1936. At the end of the nineteenth century he became strongly influenced by his fellow painter Isaac Israels and his painting style became looser and his style more impressionistic. Van der Waay is a master of capturing cityscapes and mundane scenes, often with women in the leading role.