The Pagoda Platform 1912

Ernest Stephen Lumsden made this etching called 'The Pagoda Platform'. Look at the mass of tiny lines that create the image, it’s like he's building up the image mark by mark. The way the lines gather and disperse gives the whole scene an ethereal quality. The etching is all about texture, isn't it? You can almost feel the intricacy of the pagoda's structure, the rough bark of the palm trees, and even the smooth, bright sky. Check out the bottom left corner, how the marks are less dense, giving that area an airy, light quality. Then let your eye travel up to the pagoda itself, notice the accumulation of marks create a sense of depth and shadow. It reminds me of Piranesi's architectural prints, where the built environment becomes this dense, almost dreamlike space. Like Piranesi, Lumsden is not just showing us a place but inviting us into a whole world, full of detail and mystery.