The Binnacle 1930

Arthur Briscoe made this print, The Binnacle, with a light touch and a sure hand. Look at the wispy lines, the tonal gradations – a real masterclass in capturing a scene with deceptive economy. It's the mark-making that really grabs me; the delicate etching suggesting the rough texture of the sailors' clothes, the spray of the sea, the gleam of the navigational device. It feels like you're right there on deck. Notice that the figures aren’t romanticised, their features are roughly hewn from a tangle of lines. This feels like a direct connection to the real, hard-working people on the boat. Briscoe was a sailor himself, and you can feel that lived experience in every line. His work reminds me a little of Edward Hopper; the same focus on everyday life, a quiet contemplation of human experience. In the end, the image doesn't just depict a scene; it evokes a feeling, a mood, an atmosphere.