Clewlines and Buntlines 1925

Arthur Briscoe made this etching called 'Clewlines and Buntlines' with, I'm guessing, some metal and acid. The lines swarm like gnats, pulling your eye this way and that. The mast is drawn with so many lines it looks like a furry caterpillar. The rigging strains in every direction and threatens to come loose any second. There's nothing romantic about this; it's like a snapshot of hard work! Check out the sailor's hands clinging to the mast. Briscoe uses these short, choppy marks, like the hatch marks in a technical drawing. And his smock is just scribbled in, but it tells you everything you need to know. It reminds me a little of the late work of Manet. A sense of capturing something fleeting, like a half-remembered dream.