Schip met brandhout aan de oever van de Ganges in Benares 1915

Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp made this etching of a ship with firewood on the banks of the Ganges in Benares. The all-over tonality of the etching plate has a graphic, almost monochromatic palette with subtle shifts in tone created by hatching. It’s such a process-based medium, where the physical act of etching the plate dictates the final image. I love the way Nieuwenkamp uses line to create a sense of depth and texture. Look at the details of the buildings in the background and the way the lines vary in thickness and density. It gives the image a real sense of depth and atmosphere. There’s a beautiful tension between the fine, precise lines of the architecture and the more fluid, gestural lines of the water. Nieuwenkamp's approach reminds me a little of Piranesi, in the way he uses architectural detail to create a sense of scale and drama, but the scene also has echoes of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints. Art is always about cross-pollination and mixing things up. What does this artwork make you think of?