Outer Harbor 1915

Philip Little made this black-ink etching of Outer Harbor, Gloucester in 1915, pulling the image from a plate onto paper. Look at how the lines swarm together to conjure the dark mass of the boats, in contrast to the shimmering surface of the water. I can imagine Little carefully applying acid to the metal plate, line by line, to create this atmospheric image. It’s all about contrasts, isn’t it? Dark against light, solid forms against fluid reflections. The horizon line is barely there, just a faint smudge, making the sky and water feel almost continuous. I feel like I’m standing on the shore, squinting into the hazy light, trying to make out the details of the harbor. It reminds me of other American painters like Whistler, who were drawn to these kinds of subtle, tonal effects. It’s like Little is saying, “Here is a place, but it’s also a feeling, a memory, a dream.” And that’s what keeps me looking.