House and Boats 

Charles William Smith made this print, ‘House and Boats,’ using wood engraving, though the exact date remains unknown. The image depicts a stark, modern house by the sea, with sailboats dotting the water. Born in Canada, Smith spent the majority of his career in the United States. His prints, influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, often focused on rural and industrial scenes that captured the social and cultural shift from agrarian to industrialized life in North America. Here, the geometric house form contrasts with the organic shapes of nature, reflecting a tension between human construction and the natural world. The image creates meaning through simplified forms, evoking a sense of isolation and contemplation. To understand Smith's wider body of work, art historians consult exhibition catalogues, period journals, and archival collections of prints. The meaning of art, as we see, is always contingent on the social and institutional context.