The graphic artist and painter Willem Witsen was a long-standing friend of Breitner’s. Witsen’s prosperous family background enabled him to support fellow artists, and for years his house on Oosterpark was a meeting place for innovative artists. Both Breitner and Israels had their studios there. After the late 1880s Witsen increasingly sought his subjects in the city. Both in his etchings and paintings he emphasised the serene beauty of old Amsterdam. For him, other than for Breitner, human presence was of secondary importance. Witsen depicted the warehouses on Uilenburg Island from the Nieuwe Grachtje. The view is towards the northwest, with the bridge connecting Uilenburg and Rapenburg in the middle.