Enkhuisen 1910

James McBey made this print, Enkhuisen, using black ink on paper. I like to imagine him in this waterside scene, the light glinting on the water, his eye darting back and forth to capture all the little details, like the angles of the roofs and the reflections in the water. It’s interesting to think about how McBey would have approached this work, building it up line by line, shadow by shadow. Look at the fine lines he uses to define the buildings. They’re not just shapes, but textured surfaces, worn by time and weather. And see those figures in the boats? McBey captures them with such simplicity, yet they feel so alive, like they could start talking any minute. I can see echoes of Whistler in this work, a similar interest in capturing fleeting moments, and a similar love for the beauty of everyday life. It reminds us that artists are always looking, always learning from each other, building on the past while forging their own path.