Ducks, Willem Maris, c. 1880 - c. 1907

oil on panel, h 19cm × w 27cm × d 7cm More details

The reeds seem to be rustling here. A mother duck watches her brood splash into the water. Their reflections show on the pond’s surface. Maris used quick strokes of paint to capture the moment. With the invention of the paint tube in 1841, it became much easier for artists, like Maris, to take their materials with them and paint outdoors. He would work upthe compositions back in his studio.