Net Fishing Boats 1902

Karl Nordström’s ‘Net Fishing Boats’ is a drawing, probably made with crayon or conte, that captures a fleet of sailing boats on the water. What strikes me is the mark making; the piece is built up from a myriad of tiny strokes, an intense labor of process which mirrors the daily toil of the fishermen depicted. Up close, the surface has a grainy texture, the strokes of the crayon catching the light. The sombre palette of browns and greys create a melancholic mood. Look at the way the artist has rendered the sky; it is not a flat wash of colour, but a field of hatched marks, full of atmosphere. The main boat in the foreground is defined by a series of darker marks, which form the outline of the hull and sails. Nordström was a contemporary of Munch, and the drawing shares a similar sensibility with some of Munch’s more graphic works. Both artists understood the power of simple marks to convey complex emotions. In the end, art isn't about answers, but about the questions it provokes.