Washed Up Ships

In addition to being an accomplished draughtsman, Bresdin was a proficient printmaker. In its intense detail, and with its clear tonal contrasts, this linear drawing recalls his etchings. Unlike many of his works, however, it bears a date and signature. A friend of writers and poets, Bresdin worked frequently as an illustrator. Although it does not seem that this work was destined for a particular project, much of his imagery borders on the fantastic. The buildings on the shoreline seem to lean with the mast of the larger ship. Above a spire, meanwhile, a flock of birds peppers the sky.