Thames Police
1859
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1859
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
You see a quiet riverside scene from 1859. The Thames Police dock is busy but calm, with old brick buildings lining the water. Boats bob in the brown river. A few figures stand on the dock, small against the wide sky. This is an etching and drypoint. The lines are scratchy but clear, showing light on water in just black ink. It’s not a painting—it’s a print made by scratching a metal plate. Search “etching, drypoint” to see how this scratchy technique works.
