Vissersvrouwen die visnetten herstellen 1872 - 1944

Frans Smissaert made this watercolour on paper, titled Vissersvrouwen die visnetten herstellen, which translates to Fisherwomen repairing fishing nets. I can imagine him outside with his paper and paints, quickly capturing the scene, wet on wet, building up the image from the sky down. There’s a real sense of place and weather. Look at how the land is divided, and the two figures quietly working. It’s a sparse, economic painting – the artist has really made every mark count. The clouds are beautiful; Smissaert has used a light purple mixed with grey. This brings out the colour in the green field. I wonder if he made studies of clouds in isolation, like Constable? Maybe he saw the world in terms of washes of colour like Turner? What I really like about this piece is its simplicity. The artist has trusted his instinct and the medium, and has made a painting that is subtle and beautiful. It shows how artists are in conversation with one another through time.