Born 1860 in Amsterdam, Dutch painter, photographer, and writer Willem Witsen associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement and the Tachtigers (a group of progressive Dutch artists and writers in the 1880s). He is best known for his atmospheric, often melancholic depictions of urban landscapes, especially scenes from Amsterdam, Dordrecht, and London.
Witsen’s paintings frequently feature quiet canals, bridges, and industrial buildings, often in subdued, grey tones that reflect both the Dutch climate and his introspective style. In addition to painting, he was a skilled photographer who used photography as both an artistic medium and a tool for preparing compositions.
Witsen maintained close friendships with many important figures of his time, including writers like Willem Kloos, Albert Verwey, and Lodewijk van Deyssel, and fellow painters like George Hendrik Breitner. His home in Amsterdam served as a cultural hub for artists and intellectuals.
Witsen passed away in 1923, but his legacy endures through his evocative images of Dutch cities and his contributions to modern Dutch art and literature. Here is a collection of beautiful paintings by Willem Witsen from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
 |
Carriages at the Victoria Embankment, London |
 |
A View of Ede in Winter |
 |
Basement Dwellings on the Voorstraatshaven in Dordrecht |
 |
Boats on the Thames in the Fog, London |
 |
Bridge Over a Canal in Venice |
 |
Canal in Venice |
 |
Cooperage on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal in Amsterdam |
 |
De Driehoek, a Neighborhood in Ede |
 |
Drawbridge in Kattenburg, Amsterdam |
 |
Driehoek in Ede |
 |
Forest in the Snow |
 |
Gathering Firewood |
 |
Herengracht, Amsterdam |
 |
Houses on a Canal in Amsterdam |
 |
Houses on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal in Amsterdam |
 |
Krom Boomssloot, Amsterdam |
 |
Leuvehaven, Rotterdam |
 |
Miller at Work – Weighing Flour |
 |
Montelbaan Tower on the Oude Schans in winter |
 |
Old Houses in Amsterdam (Krom Boomsloot) |
 |
Oosterpark in Amsterdam |
 |
Oudezijds Achterburgwal, Amsterdam |
 |
Prins Hendrikkade in Amsterdam (View of the Schreierstoren from the IJ) |
 |
Rain, Thames Embankment, London |
 |
Slum |
 |
Stationary Cabs in London |
 |
The Corner of Kalkmarkt and Prins Hendrikkade, Amsterdam |
 |
The Oude Schans in Amsterdam |
 |
The Oude Schans in Amsterdam |
 |
The Oude Schans in Amsterdam |
 |
The Oude Waal in Winter, Amsterdam |
 |
Turf Ships on the IJ, Amsterdam |
 |
Venice |
 |
View of the Singel with the Koepelkerk, Amsterdam |
 |
Voorstraathaven I, Dordrecht |
 |
Voorstraathaven VI, Dordrecht (Dordrecht VIII) |
 |
Waiting Carriages at Waterloo Bridge |
 |
Waiting Carriages under Charing Cross |
 |
Warehouses on Uilenburg |
 |
Waterloo Bridge at Night |
0 comments:
Post a Comment