Fisher's Creek, King's Lynn 1903

Muirhead Bone made this etching of Fisher’s Creek in King’s Lynn with incredible detail, building tone through a process of layering lines. Look closely at the foreground; the grass is rendered with such energy! See how the lines are not just descriptive but full of movement? You can almost feel the wind. That kind of mark-making isn't about perfection; it's about capturing the feeling of a place. The whole piece has this raw, immediate quality, like he’s trying to capture not just what he sees, but the experience of being there, right on the edge of the water. I'm reminded of Whistler, who had a similar dedication to etching and a real eye for industrial landscapes. But where Whistler's work can feel a bit more polished, Bone embraces the grit, the unpredictable messiness that gives art its soul. It's this willingness to let the process be visible, to let the medium speak, that makes his work so compelling.