“Stop to appreciate the dramatic atmosphere of this maritime scene. The artist masterfully uses etching and aquatint to capture the light and movement of a fishing fleet, drawing you into a moment on the water.”
A fleet of fishing boats, their sails catching the wind, dominates this etching and aquatint. The scene is rendered with a striking sense of atmosphere, as if the viewer is standing on the shore, watching the vessels embark or return. The artist has used a brown ink on tan paper, which lends a warm, almost sepia tone to the entire composition, enhancing the feeling of a timeless, industrious maritime scene. Notice how the light seems to break through the clouds, illuminating the water and the sails with a soft glow. This work was part of L'Estampe originale, a significant album that showcased innovative printmaking at the end of the 19th century, reflecting a broader interest in graphic arts and their potential for capturing everyday life with artistic flair.
- Artist
- Théo van Rysselberghe
- Date
- 1893
- Medium
- Etching and aquatint with burnishing, from two plates, in brown, on tan laid paper, tipped to tan wove paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Plate: 22.5 × 28.4 cm (8 7/8 × 11 3/16 in.); Primary support: 23.8 × 31.7 cm (9 3/8 × 12 1/2 in.); Secondary support: 49.8 × 57.1 cm (19 5/8 × 22 1/2 in.)
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The subtle texture of the aquatint creating the sky and water.
The way burnishing highlights the sails, making them appear luminous.
The small figures on the boats, suggesting human scale and activity.
The distinct rigging and details on each fishing vessel.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →More works to explore
Beyond van Rysselberghe: works from the same years.
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Woman Walking in a Garden
Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Léon Clapisson
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Merahi metua no Tehamana (Tehamana Has Many Parents or The Ancestors of Tehamana)
Paul Gauguin · 1893 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Child's Bath
Mary Cassatt · 1893 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Hands
Edvard Munch · 1893 · Munch Museum
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Place du Havre, Paris
Camille Pissarro · 1893 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Sofa
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1894 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
House and Courtyard
John Singer Sargent · 1895 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer)
Claude Monet · 1891 · Art Institute of Chicago
