Afgemeerde roeiboten 1895

Editor: So, here we have "Afgemeerde roeiboten," or "Moored Rowboats," by Pieter Dupont, done in 1895. It looks like an etching, very gray and somber, and immediately gives me a feeling of stillness. What captures your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Stillness, yes! Almost melancholic, isn’t it? For me, it's the water, or rather, Dupont’s way of *suggesting* water with these tight, vertical lines. It's almost vibrating with implied movement, which, ironically, heightens the overall sense of quietude. Like a held breath before…what? Rain? Revelation? What do you think the boats are waiting for? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about the anticipation... Perhaps a sense of being in-between? Not quite abandoned, not quite in use? Curator: Exactly! And that "in-betweenness" is the sweet spot for a lot of art, I think. Think about what it means to be on the verge, the cusp of action. Notice, too, the layering of textures—the roughness of the wood against the almost ethereal reflections in the water. What story do these contrasts tell you? Editor: Hmmm. Maybe something about the difference between the tangible, everyday world and the more elusive, reflective one? And how they mirror each other? Curator: Beautifully put! The mundane mirroring something greater. I love that. See how much more potent 'stillness' becomes with a little bit of searching? Editor: Absolutely. I'll definitely look at etchings with different eyes from now on! Thank you.