Zicht op de haven van Boulogne-sur-Mer 1920

This view of the harbor of Boulogne-sur-Mer by Eugène Bejot feels like it was made with a needle, a plate, and acid, sometime in the early 20th century. I'm thinking about the act of mark-making here. There’s something so intimate about etching, isn’t there? You have to really press, to dig in. I imagine Bejot hunched over the plate, carefully plotting out the composition. He must have thought, how do I convey the immensity of the scene with just these tiny lines? The repetition of the marks almost creates a kind of rhythm. It's like the artist is saying, "Look, I'm here, I'm present, I'm trying to make sense of this world." But it’s not just about documenting, it's about feeling, sensing, experiencing. It reminds me a little bit of Whistler, but with a bit more grit. You know, the way artists pick up on each other's ideas and run with them, it’s one big conversation across time. It is an ongoing exchange that makes you feel more connected.