Jerusalem, Kidrontal und Siloa 1925

Jakob Nussbaum made this drawing of Jerusalem, Kidrontal und Siloa with what looks like ink on paper. It’s all about the back and forth between dark and light, where each mark seems to test the one before it. There’s a real tension in the push and pull between the tones, the way the dark ink clumps together to define a form, and then scatters into lighter strokes nearby. Look at the foreground, the way the light grey strokes give the impression of texture, and the way these contrast with the thicker, more energetic strokes in the cliffs and rocks on the left. It feels like Nussbaum is exploring the physicality of the landscape, like he's trying to capture the weight and volume of the hills in a way that feels both immediate and considered. The way he’s treated the buildings reminds me of Cezanne, who was trying to break things down to their basic forms. It’s like the conversation between artists is ongoing, each responding to what came before, trying to find new ways of seeing and representing the world.