Het gedenkteken voor Witte van Haemstede - Gerrit Lamberts

A detailed graphite and ink wash drawing by Gerrit Lamberts, depicting the 1817 monument to Witte van Haemstede at Huis te Manpad.

This drawing by Gerrit Lamberts depicts the monument dedicated to Witte van Haemstede, situated at the Huis te Manpad in Heemstede. Erected in 1817 by the writer and poet David Jacob van Lennep, the obelisk commemorates the legendary figure of Witte van Haemstede, a natural son of Count Floris V of Holland. The work captures the monument within a wooded setting, typical of the Dutch topographical tradition that sought to document historical sites and country estates during the early nineteenth century.

Lamberts employs a combination of graphite and ink wash to define the scene. The obelisk stands as the central subject, enclosed by a simple iron fence, while the surrounding trees are rendered with careful attention to their form and foliage. The artist uses varying densities of wash to create depth, separating the foreground path and the manicured hedge from the denser woodland behind the monument. The light is soft, suggesting an overcast day, which allows for a balanced distribution of tone across the composition.

As a draughtsman, Lamberts was known for his precise documentation of Dutch architecture and rural locations. This piece reflects the period interest in local history and the romanticisation of historical figures through the placement of commemorative markers in natural settings. The drawing provides a clear view of the monument's proportions and its integration into the garden design of the Huis te Manpad. It is a fine example of the documentary style prevalent in Dutch art of the era, where the artist functions as both a recorder of physical reality and a narrator of cultural memory. The work remains a valuable visual record of the site as it appeared shortly after the monument's construction.