Boot in de Bickersgracht, Amsterdam 1867 - 1935

Maurits van der Valk made this etching of a boat in Amsterdam, and look how he’s captured a scene with such economy. The magic of etching is all about mark-making, isn't it? The way a tiny scratch can stand for something much bigger. Notice the almost frantic, scribbled lines he’s used for the reflections in the water; it's a shorthand, but it really works. It’s like he’s not just showing us a boat, but the whole shimmering, unsteady feeling of being on the water. And those little figures on the boat? They’re barely there, but they give the scene life, a human presence amidst all that watery chaos. You can imagine him, van der Valk, out there on the Bickersgracht, squinting in the Dutch light, trying to capture it all with just a few deft scratches on a plate. Think of Whistler and his nocturnes, that same interest in atmosphere, in capturing a mood with the bare minimum of means. Art's funny, it's not about showing everything, it's about suggesting, hinting, inviting us to fill in the blanks.