Hove To 1929

Arthur Briscoe made this etching, "Hove To," with subtle tonal shifts in the ink, creating a dynamic scene of a ship amidst rough seas. I imagine Briscoe, with the needle in his hand, carving into the plate with quick, assured strokes. You can almost feel the spray of the sea and hear the wind howling through the rigging. The marks swarm. They evoke both the turbulent energy of the ocean and the artist’s own struggle to capture it all. See how the lines cluster together to build up the darker areas of the waves, then thin out and feather to suggest the sky. I can feel the rocking of the waves and the creaking of the ship's timbers. I bet Briscoe himself was no stranger to the sea; he knew its moods and rhythms intimately, and that knowledge seeps into every line of this print. Painters, like sailors, are always navigating uncharted waters, using skill and intuition to find their way. Every artwork is a conversation, a call and response across time and space.