Landschap met een boot op een scheepswerf 1874

Pierre Teyssonnières made this print of a boat in a shipyard using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on acid to bite lines into a metal plate. These lines, when inked and pressed onto paper, create the image we see. The stark, linear quality of etching is perfectly suited to depicting this industrial scene, alluding to the hard labor involved in shipbuilding. The focus on materiality – the wooden boat, the rough-hewn post, the gritty landscape – emphasizes the physical nature of work. Look closely at the details: the textures of the wood, the way the light falls across the scene. Teyssonnières wasn't just creating a pretty picture; he was documenting a world of work, where human effort transformed raw materials into functional objects. By elevating this scene to the level of art, Teyssonnières challenges us to reconsider what we value and what we consider worthy of attention.