Net Fishing Boats 1902

Karl Nordström created this evocative drawing of fishing boats, rendered in muted tones of brown and grey, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I can imagine the artist standing on the shore, squinting against the pale light, charcoal in hand, trying to capture the subtle gradations of tone in the water and sky. It's all about atmosphere, isn't it? The soft, almost smudged lines create a hazy effect, like looking at a memory. Look at the way he’s built up the texture of the water with these tiny, almost scribbled marks. It gives the surface a real sense of movement and depth. Nordström was part of a generation of artists who were interested in capturing the mood and feeling of a place, rather than just a literal depiction. It reminds me a little of Whistler, or maybe even some of the Symbolist painters, who were also exploring these kinds of dreamy, evocative landscapes. It’s all part of this ongoing conversation between artists, each one building on what came before, and pushing things in new directions.