I like to bring old black and white photos alive again and when I found this picture of the end of the 19th century it inspired me to make this watercolor. Till about a hundred years ago winter was a torment for bargeman. Rivers and channels were frozen and tow-pads offently impracticable. Some bargeman make a virtue of necessity and profit of the bad saison to let repair their boat. No wonder that it was very busy on the small shipyards along rivers and channels. Image size: 260 x 360 mm