Stowing the Mainsail 1930

Arthur Briscoe made this etching, Stowing the Mainsail, using fine lines to capture a scene at sea. Look at the concentration of marks, how they build up to describe the figures aloft on the ship's mast. You can almost feel the texture of the canvas sail. Briscoe's marks are never really obscured; they’re part of the image. See how the etching describes the weight of the sailors, their dark forms in contrast to the sail above? Those marks feel like labor, a kind of focused energy. Look, in particular, at the sailor in the middle of the mast, his legs wrapped tightly around the mast; Briscoe's attention to detail makes this a really compelling depiction of the working seaman. This reminds me a little of Whistler’s seascapes, both artists have an eye for detail. But where Whistler sought to capture the poetic essence of the marine environment, Briscoe's work feels grounded in a more intimate understanding of the sailor's everyday life.