Costal Navigation Boats (Coast of Italy) 1874

Curator: Looking at "Coastal Navigation Boats (Coast of Italy)" by Adolphe Appian, created in 1874. It's currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and it’s an etching. What is your immediate reaction? Editor: Mmm, atmospheric! There’s a stillness to it, almost dreamlike. The dark tones and reflections give the scene a tranquil feeling like it's holding its breath. A real moment captured. Curator: Indeed. Appian's use of etching, a printmaking process using acid to corrode lines into a metal plate, lends itself to this hazy, nuanced feel. The way he works with light and shadow speaks volumes about the industry of fishing in coastal Italy in the late 19th century. This wasn't mere pretty scenery; this was someone's livelihood. Editor: Absolutely. You can almost smell the saltwater! The process of etching, too, has a link to that labour – the manual skill, the use of acids and metals… that reminds me of alchemy, transmuting the ordinary into something precious. A bit like fishing itself. What's the catch? How were these images distributed? Curator: Prints such as this, often, circulated among a growing art market catering to the middle classes. Photography was still nascent, so etchings offered a more affordable way for people to own art, depicting both familiar and far-flung scenes. Editor: Right! Democratising art through multiplied, manufactured imagery… It's not only picturesque, it’s pretty smart. I find that comforting and a bit challenging too, I want it to have that uniqueness. The soul. Curator: Its replicability also means broader social impact. What stories did these images tell? Which ideas did they reinforce or question about the relationships between urban consumers, artists, and working landscapes? Editor: Food for thought, literally! Appian gives me this invitation into an ordinary, ethereal moment— and reminds us how connected those things can be through labor, the social world and the market. A little ordinary beauty. Curator: Precisely, by considering the artistic labor alongside that of the boatmen in this tranquil Italian scene, the image offers layered insights into how we perceive and value art within evolving socio-economic systems. Thanks for sharing your artistic perception with us.