Vissersjongen 1875 - 1935

Cornelis Koppenol made this etching of a fisherman in the late 19th or early 20th century. It is a subtle work, built up from a complex web of closely hatched lines. The artist takes a simple subject, a working class boy, and shows us something of his reality. Look closely at the way the lines vary in tone and thickness across the surface of the etching. See how the subtle modulation of the light creates a sense of texture and form, especially on the boy's clothes and the weighty basket he carries on his back. The density of the marks in this area also suggest the weight of the basket and the labor of the boy's existence. It reminds me of other artists, like Käthe Kollwitz, who are dedicated to representing everyday life. The conversation continues, and artists like Koppenol, and Kollwitz encourage us to find beauty in the mundane and to look at the world, and the people around us, with sensitivity and empathy.