Shrimp Fishermen Hermann Baisch

The German artist Hermann Baisch was best known for his village genre-paintings, rural landscapes, and animal depictions combining realistic and romantic elements, although he also produced a smaller quantity of more naturalistic works in Katwijk, on the coast of the Netherlands. The fishing village (which probably also inspired his painting in Budapest) attracted a large number of painters in the last quarter of the nineteenth century: the singular light, the simple fishing life, and the local clothing and customs provided them with new and attractive themes.
The fishermen on the beach are collecting shrimp using horse-drawn nets while the women are waiting for the fresh produce. What first captures the viewer’s attention is the bright sunshine; Baisch depicted the light effects of the cloudy sky, the shadows on the shore, and the wet texture of the sand brilliantly. The tension in the composition derives from the fact that, while the artist depicted the scene with photo-realistic precision encompassing every detail, we still cannot see what the attention of all the characters is focused on: the fishermen turn away from the viewer, and the horse-drawn cart obscures the goods that are laid out.

Anna Zsófia Kovács