Fishing Boats Docking 

Curator: This etching, likely done with ink, titled "Fishing Boats Docking" by Lucien J. Simon, captures a small group of figures near watercrafts. What strikes you most upon first viewing? Editor: Immediately, I’m drawn to the figures themselves. They’re bent, slumped, working— labor defines their poses, their engagement with this world. Curator: Absolutely. Simon’s interest, I think, lies in representing this genre-painting moment; consider how the lines and textures serve to construct a sense of everyday toil. Editor: I see this quiet perseverance rendered so well by how the artist depicted them – their downcast eyes mirroring perhaps a deeper cultural narrative of working class experiences in harbor communities. I can also appreciate how the symbol of the boats represents safe harbor and journey both beginning and ending. Curator: Interesting point, but if you consider the relationship of foreground to background—the stark contrast between those deeply worked over surfaces where the figures are placed, to the almost ephemeral quality of the water and the other boats it suggests Simon was interested in showing how the working person creates the wealth that fuels our maritime transport networks. I read a commentary on production through the figure work. Editor: Possibly, though those silhouetted boats resting upon the horizon – in visual language - often tell of future prospectives as dreams. I don't discount what you mention however but my impression, culturally speaking here - it signifies deeper connections, perhaps longing for future generations yet unseen... Curator: We often think of artistic expression divorced from the work. But there is real intellectual work performed in trades that this artwork invites us to think more deeply about. Editor: Yes and that artistic license offers potent imagery—it is about looking, reflecting inward; there's enduring strength showcased there! Curator: Exactly. It gives us much to consider about class and community today.