British Fleet off Salamis (from Sketchbook) 1904

Mary Newbold Sargent created this pen and ink drawing, ‘British Fleet off Salamis,’ sometime around 1904. It’s a simple sketch, really, but there’s a kind of immediacy in the way she’s captured the scene. You can almost feel the movement of her hand as she quickly jotted down the fleet on paper. I love the scratchy, almost nervous energy of the lines, they give the impression of the ships floating on the horizon. The texture of the paper shows through, adding a layer of depth to the drawing. There's a real sense of place here. Note the date, inscribed by the artist on the lower right, ‘Sep. 17th 04’. Sargent’s sketch reminds me of some of Turner’s more gestural seascapes, though much more minimal. Both artists capture the sublime power of the sea with very different means. It’s a good reminder that art is always about looking, and looking again, and finding new ways to see the world.