Tropisch bos met baadsters 1905 - 1930

Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp made "Tropical Forest with Bathers" using pencil, and it looks like he was really feeling the process. The surface has this beautiful give and take, with lines that define shapes but also seem to breathe and shift. Look at the way the roots of the tree drip down, anchoring it to the earth, but also how they become these almost cartoonish fingers, reaching and grabbing. There is something so elemental and tactile, and it makes me think about how we, as humans, are intertwined with the natural world. The tonal range isn't huge, but the varying pressure of the pencil creates light and shadow, depth and space. It’s like a dance between control and letting go. This drawing reminds me of Redon's charcoal drawings, but with a hint of Indonesian folk art. It feels like a portal into a world both real and imagined.