Fishing Boats of Tréport 1903

Gustave Leheutre made this etching, Fishing Boats of Tréport, using a metal plate as his canvas. The image is a symphony of line, a dance of hatching and cross-hatching that builds up the forms of boats, sails, and figures. Look closely, and you’ll see how the density of these lines creates shadow and depth. The foreground is alive with detail, but the background fades into a hazy distance, a quiet whisper of the sea. There’s a lightness to the touch here, a sense of immediacy, like Leheutre captured the scene in a fleeting moment. I am reminded of James McNeill Whistler's etchings. Both artists seem to share a similar sensibility. But perhaps more than anything, this print is about the pure joy of mark-making, the pleasure of translating the world into a language of lines. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about what we see, but how we see it.