Twee zagende mannen in een werkplaats in Verona Possibly 1911 - 1919

Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp made this print of two men sawing in Verona, using a plate to carve fine lines that almost look like the hatching in a drawing. I can imagine Nieuwenkamp setting up his easel, or whatever he used, on site; looking through some old beams onto a far vista. It’s all about framing, isn’t it? I wonder if he watched those guys for a long time, the saw going back and forth, before starting the print. It must have taken him ages to create that many tiny little marks. The composition makes me think about the architecture of painting itself. Like, how do you build up a world in a picture? The beams, the men, the city in the distance - all these layers create depth, and suggest space. The printmaking process itself mirrors this too, you know. Each pass of the tool, each addition of ink, adds to the story. I love how artists, like Nieuwenkamp, keep the conversation going across time, inspiring each other with every mark and idea. Painting is all about this exchange, embracing uncertainty, and letting things emerge.