Rivier de Loloan op Bali Possibly 1907 - 1916

Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp made this print, Rivier de Loloan op Bali, by scoring lines into a metal plate, then inking it and pressing it onto paper. Imagine Nieuwenkamp patiently etching each line, building up the darks and lights of this Balinese landscape. Look at the looming tree, like an umbrella, framing the scene. What was he thinking as he rendered these delicate details? I love how the foliage becomes a kind of screen. It reminds me of the way a painting can act as a window onto another world, or maybe a mirror reflecting our own desires and projections. It seems like he’s inviting us to contemplate not just the landscape itself, but the act of seeing. Artists like Nieuwenkamp are always in dialogue, building on what came before, riffing on ideas, and inspiring future generations. We are all just trying to make sense of the world, one gesture at a time.