Vissersvrouwen die visnetten herstellen 1872 - 1944

Frans Smissaert made this small watercolor, 'Fisherwomen Repairing Nets,' with such humble materials; it feels like a very intimate moment. There's a beautiful simplicity in the way he’s laid down these washes of color, especially in the foreground, creating a sense of depth. You can almost feel the dampness of the earth and the cool air of the coast. It really speaks to the act of painting as a process of layering and revealing. I’m drawn to the quiet dignity of these figures, their backs turned to us, heads bowed, focused on the task at hand. It reminds me of Courbet, and his monumental paintings of everyday life, but on a more modest, tender scale. Smissaert shares his clear-eyed view of the laboring classes with a palpable sense of empathy. He doesn't glorify or romanticize their lives; he simply honors their work.