Racing 1927

Philip Little made this etching, called Racing, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The network of fine lines creates the scene from simple marks, like a frenetic sketch. It's like Little wanted to catch the energy of the sailboats, not just their image. The scratchy texture of the etching gives the whole scene a kind of lively buzz. Look at the way he renders the sails, with these quick, diagonal lines. You can almost feel the wind pushing against them. Then, notice how he uses similar marks to suggest the movement of the water. The effect is really quite dynamic. In some ways, this reminds me of Whistler's etchings of the Thames. Both artists share this interest in capturing fleeting moments and atmospheric effects through very economical means. But Little's piece has a kind of raw energy that feels very contemporary. It's less about capturing a perfect image and more about the feeling of being there, right in the middle of the race.