Afgemeerde roeiboten 1895

Pieter Dupont created this etching, titled 'Afgemeerde roeiboten', depicting moored rowboats with detailed strokes of a needle. There is an emotional aspect to this piece, almost melancholic, in its depiction of simple boats floating gently, waiting. The piece exists outside of time, with no particular cultural or historical references in clear view. The simplicity encourages a focus on how labor and leisure are represented. The boats might imply work and the river as a means of transport, or hint at the culture of recreation and escape on waterways. Rather than making grand statements, the piece makes gentle observations of everyday life, as if in quiet conversation with social and economic structures.