Vier eenden aan de waterkant 1872

Here we see "Four Ducks on the Shore," a delicate etching by Jan Gerard Smits. Made with fine lines, the composition offers a glimpse into a tranquil scene. Notice how Smits arranges the ducks, using their forms to create a sense of depth and rhythm. The texture achieved through the etching technique is particularly noteworthy. The artist uses hatching and cross-hatching to define the ducks' plumage and create a sense of volume. This method of creating tone from dark to light also adds a tactile quality, as if one could feel the softness of the feathers. In the semiotic system, the ducks can be seen as signs. They may represent domesticity and a certain idealized vision of nature. Smits’ work challenges established meanings by presenting an intimate view of wildlife. It invites a moment of contemplation. The beauty of this etching resides not just in its representational accuracy but in its invitation to reflect on our relationship with the natural world.