Fishing for Shells, Jacob Maris, 1885
oil on canvas, h 113.5cm × w 129.3cm × t 5cm × d 15.5cm × w 52.4kg More details
Fishermen comb the shoreline with their nets in search of shells, their diminutive figures dwarfed by the expansive beach around them. However, the true star of the composition is the broadly painted sky. Maris used a host of grey and white shades to capture the silvery light of a day by the sea. He was fascinated by the pristine Dutch coastal landscape, which was gradually changing with the advent of tourism.
