On the Shore
c. 1929
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching and drypoint in black on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 33.5 x 44.7 cm (13 3/16 x 17 5/8 in.) sheet: 40.2 x 53.3 cm (15 13/16 x 21 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jacob Kainen
Accession Number
2002.98.319
Art Historical Context
**On the Shore** by Rolf Nesch, around 1929, captures the artist's early mastery of intaglio printmaking during the vibrant Weimar era in Germany. Nesch, a German-Nwegian artist (18931975), was influenced by Expressionism and the bold experimentation of contemporaries like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. This etching and dry in black ink on smooth wove paper measures 33.5 x 44.7 cm on the plate, inviting viewers into a poised shoreline scene through intricate line work that evokes tension and tranquility. Etching involves drawing through a wax ground on a metal plate, allowing acid to bite fine lines,...