Beach Landing c. 1940s

Donald Vogel made "Beach Landing" probably around 1950, using black ink on a light surface. It’s like the whole scene’s been hatched into existence, built up bit by bit from tiny marks. You can almost feel him making it, building up the tone. I imagine Vogel really grappling with that plate, getting lost in the details. Maybe he wanted to convey the chaos of war, the industrialisation, the relentless movement of bodies and things. How to make sense of it all, one tiny line at a time? Look at the way he's rendered those mountains in the background, each line so carefully placed. What might he have been thinking about? Were there other artists that were inspiring him? We all do it. This print is so full of energy. Like he’s trying to capture the whole world.