Boulogne

1900

Théo van Rysselberghe

Associated Names
Théo van Rysselberghe

Artist, Belgian, 1862 - 1926

The image shows a view from a dock or shoreline, looking out over a harbor filled with several sailboats anchored in tranquil water. Closest to us are the dark silhouettes of these boats, their masts and rigging sharply defined against the light reflected on the water. Beyond the boats, the horizon is low in the composition, crowded with the lights of a distant city or port, giving a sense of depth. The horizon forms a line where the water meets the cityscape. Smoke trails from stacked chimneys blend into the atmosphere. The sky and water are treated with crosshatched strokes, creating a textured effect that enhances the reflection of lights on the water. The overall color palette is monochromatic, dominated by shades of black, grey, and muted white.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching with aquatint in gray-green on cream laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Given in memory of Mrs. Daryl Reich Rubenstein

  • Dimensions

    plate: 24.9 x 30.2 cm (9 13/16 x 11 7/8 in.)
    sheet: 32.5 x 43.4 cm (12 13/16 x 17 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2006.50.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Feltkamp 2003, Vol. E-1900, no. 4, State i/ii


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Willy Finch, Ostende. Private collection, Switzerland. (C. G. Boerner, LLC, New York); purchased 2006 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 125.

Bibliography

2003

  • Feltkamp, Ronald. Théo van Rysselberghe, 1862 - 1926. Brussels, 2003.

Inscriptions

lower center in plate: BOULOGNE 1900; lower right in graphite: Van Rysselberghe

Markings

blindstamp AQUAE / BELGES

Wikidata ID

Q76358645

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