Rhenen 1911

Here is a print called Rhenen, by Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp. It’s the kind of print where the artist coaxes a whole world out of black lines. The clouds, they’re not just clouds, they’re these monumental puffs built from tiny, careful strokes. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving, like drawing is a way of feeling the sky. Look at the way the town nestles under that sky. It’s a landscape, but it’s also about how we fit into these massive, overwhelming spaces. There is something so grounding in the solid black ink of the town against the white of the sky. It reminds me of Japanese prints, that careful balance, or even the starkness of some German Expressionists. It’s a reminder that art’s always talking to itself, across time.