Beating to Windward 1924

Here we have “Beating to Windward,” an etching made by Philip Little in 1924. What strikes me is the economy of line, that the artist is unafraid to let the image remain somewhat unresolved, and it’s this openness which allows us to imaginatively fill in the gaps. Look at the way the masts and sails of the boats are rendered with such simple strokes, yet they convey a real sense of movement, the spars angled as the boats tack against the wind. These lines are confident, almost nonchalant, but they bring the scene to life. The texture of the paper also plays a part, lending a soft, grainy quality to the image as a whole, like a faded memory. There’s a kinship here with the etchings of James McNeill Whistler, another master of understated elegance, who also embraced the beauty of the unfinished. Like Whistler, Little seems to suggest that sometimes it’s what we leave unsaid that speaks the loudest.