Afgemeerde zeilschepen bij een kade 1869 - 1927

Editor: This is “Afgemeerde zeilschepen bij een kade,” or “Moored Sailing Ships by a Quay,” attributed to Jan van Rhijnnen and thought to be made sometime between 1869 and 1927. It’s an etching on paper, and it feels… incredibly still. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, first off, isn’t it just remarkable how much atmosphere van Rhijnnen manages to conjure with such minimal means? It's a landscape, but it breathes with an almost Orientalist sensibility in its elegant austerity. But there's also this grounding in realism; it feels like a specific place, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. The details in the rigging of the ships are incredible. It does feel very true to life. Curator: And what I find truly special is the balance. The stillness, as you observed, comes from the reflection on the water, almost perfectly mirroring the buildings and boats, and those human figures become anchors holding the entire scene in place. They're diminutive, but essential, like tiny punctuation marks in a poem. I wonder, what stories do you think those boats could tell if they could speak? Editor: That’s a wonderful thought. They've probably seen so many sunrises and sunsets, calm days and wild storms. I hadn’t really thought about the people either, but they really do complete the composition. It makes the whole thing less abstract. Curator: Precisely! Van Rhijnnen captures both the poetic and the prosaic, and doesn’t that mirror life itself? Maybe that’s why this seemingly simple etching continues to resonate with us. Editor: I came in thinking it was just a picture of some boats, but now I feel like I understand so much more about how a picture can feel.