The Brussels Canal, A Modern Hobbema

About this work

This sketch shows a smoky factory by a narrow canal. Trees line the left side, their branches tangled. A bridge crosses above the water, and a train track runs along the bottom, leading toward the factory’s dark, puffing chimneys. The artist used scratchy lines to show smoke and steam, almost like they’re moving. The whole scene feels gritty and busy, like a city waking up. Want to see more of this style? Look up etching to learn how artists carve into metal plates to make prints.