Het drogen van netten 1872 - 1944

Frans Smissaert made 'Het drogen van netten' with watercolour and graphite on paper. There's a real tenderness to this painting, don't you think? It feels like a fleeting moment, captured with a hushed reverence. I wonder, did Smissaert work on site, right there with the figures, or from memory in his studio? Imagine the process: layering washes of delicate colour to build up the atmosphere of this coastal scene. You can almost smell the salty air and feel the dampness in the ground. The artist has left space for ambiguity, encouraging the viewer to bring their own experiences and interpretations to the work. The grey, wet sky seems to blend with the ground, blurring the line between land and air. This piece reminds me that artists are always in conversation with each other across time, and that paintings offer a unique way of seeing and experiencing the world, embracing uncertainty and allowing for multiple meanings.