Het drogen van netten 1872 - 1944

Frans Smissaert made "Het drogen van netten" with paint, and most likely brushes, at some point in his career. The colors are subtle, almost muted, like a memory fading into the past, which to me is what painting is all about, a process of remembering and forgetting. I'm drawn to the texture of the sky, look at how Smissaert used thin washes to create a feeling of depth and atmosphere, you can almost feel the dampness in the air! The paint isn't overworked, it's like he allowed the medium to do its thing. I'm also curious about how the figures seem to blend with the landscape, as if they’re part of the earth itself. This piece reminds me a bit of Corot, in the way he captured the quiet beauty of the everyday. It shows us that art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas, and that ambiguity is something to be celebrated.