Sunrise in Harbor 1919

Philip Little made "Sunrise in Harbor" with etching. It’s all about the lines, really, that make up the boats and the suggestion of water. You can tell that Little was really thinking about the printing process here, using the etched line to play with light and dark, absence and presence, kind of like a photographic negative. There’s a lot of darkness here, with these big, bold areas of black ink creating a strong, almost ominous feeling, but the scratchy, broken lines create an interesting contrast. I’m particularly drawn to how the reflections are handled, with these choppy, almost frantic lines that capture the movement of the water. It’s like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, a glimpse of something that’s always changing. It makes me think of Whistler and his moody nocturnes, these kinds of tonalist images that aren’t interested in photorealism but are more about creating atmosphere. I think this piece is all about that: atmosphere and feeling.