In a Backwater Bayhead 1913

Cadwallader Washburn made this etching, called "In a Backwater Bayhead," sometime around 1910. It’s all about lines, hatchy and quick, like he’s trying to catch a feeling more than a scene. Check out the big log in the foreground. It’s got these curved lines that make it feel round and solid, but then the lines just dissolve into the water, getting all scribbly and loose. I love how the dark ink makes the log pop, but everything else is kinda faded and dreamy. The whole thing feels off-kilter. Is it real, or is it a memory? It reminds me a bit of Whistler, who was also into these moody, atmospheric prints. But Washburn’s got a roughness that’s all his own. It feels like he was really there, in the mud, sketching fast before the light changed. For me, it's not just a picture of a bayou, it's a feeling of being there, you know? A sense of place, hanging in the air.