Sketch of Fishing Boats and Sailors 1902

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this sketch of fishing boats and sailors using etching in 1902. It's like MacLaughlan is thinking aloud with his pen, letting his mind wander across the scene. Look at the way he renders the boats; it's not about getting every detail right, but about capturing the feeling of being near the water. The lines are so economical, and yet they convey the essence of these sturdy vessels bobbing gently in the harbor. You can almost feel the salt spray on your face, can’t you? And the figures, they’re just little gestures, almost like afterthoughts, but they add a sense of scale and human presence to the scene. It reminds me a bit of some of the early modernist painters, like Manet, who were also interested in capturing fleeting moments and impressions. Ultimately, it's about the act of seeing, of translating the world onto paper with a few deft strokes.