Ducks in the Marshes 1862 - 1921

Charles François Daubigny created this etching, Ducks in the Marshes, where a tranquil scene unfolds through a mesh of delicate lines. The composition reveals a marsh landscape, dominated by vertical reeds and horizontal water and sky. The arrangement invites the eye to wander through the ducks floating serenely on the water and then up to follow the dynamic scattering of birds in flight. The image has a semiotic structure rooted in the contrasts between the contained water and the expansive sky, which suggests themes of freedom and constraint, or movement and stillness. Daubigny masterfully destabilizes fixed perspectives by positioning us within the landscape but also above it, offering a layered viewing experience that defies singular interpretation. Note how Daubigny uses the etching technique to not just depict a scene but to engage with the very ideas of space and freedom, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world.