Coasters in August Haze 1919

This is "Coasters in August Haze," an etching that Philip Little made sometime around 1900. Look at how Little uses tiny, almost frantic, marks to build up these massive sailboats. The process is right there on the surface. I mean, this is a print, so it’s not like paint is glopped on, but you can feel the intensity of the artist's hand. See how the dark ink creates a shimmering, hazy effect on the water? The reflection of the boats becomes almost as substantial as the boats themselves. There's this back and forth between clarity and obscurity, which is the beauty of a hazy day, right? It's like seeing through a veil. This reminds me a little of Whistler's etchings—that same sense of atmosphere and mood. But Little's marks feel more agitated, maybe even a bit nervous. It's a slice of a summer day, captured not as a static image, but as a fleeting, emotional experience.