Pier #22 c. 1935 - 1943

Max Mougel’s Pier #22 is an etching, and it uses a reduced palette of blacks, greys and whites. The marks create a contrast between a scene full of detail and an almost abstract composition. It makes me think about the relationship between representation and abstraction in art. Here, Mougel is capturing the rough and ready architecture of the docks. See how the repetitive marks create the textures of sky, water, and the weathered surfaces of the ships and pier? I love how the artist uses simple lines to create depth and atmosphere, and how the composition directs your eye through the scene. Look closely, you can almost smell the sea! I am reminded of Whistler’s etchings of the Thames. Both artists transform everyday scenes into atmospheric studies of light and shadow. The contrast and balance invites us to consider how art can be both a record of a place and a personal interpretation of it.