Neapolitan Fishing Boats Returning Home

Robert Swain Gifford

1884

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

About this work

This sketch shows two small boats gliding toward shore at dusk. The waves are drawn with quick, wavy lines, and the sails hang loose. A pale moon sits low in the sky, casting a soft glow over the water. The artist used fine lines to show light and movement, almost like scratching into the paper. This isn’t paint—it’s made with etching and drypoint, a way of biting into metal plates to create prints. Want to see more? Look up etching, drypoint.