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.
Read the visual description

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.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Boulogne

Théo van Rysselberghe

Date
1900
Medium
etching with aquatint printed in gray-green on cream laid paper
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.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
2006.50.1
Credit line
Given in memory of Mrs. Daryl Reich Rubenstein
Time span
1876 to 1900
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • etching
  • Belgium
  • landscape
  • Belgian
Provenance

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

Inscription

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

Marks

blindstamp AQUAE / BELGES

NGA object ID 134212. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.