British Fleet off Salamis (from Sketchbook) 1904

Mary Newbold Sargent sketched the British Fleet off Salamis, with pencil on paper in 1904. It's a quick and atmospheric sketch! I imagine Sargent sitting on deck, squinting at the horizon. The pencil moves swiftly, capturing the silhouettes of ships against the pale sky. It’s all about capturing a fleeting impression, a sense of place and time. The sketch is so light and sparse, the marks just hovering on the surface of the paper. You can almost feel the sea breeze. It reminds me of the quick studies that Constable did of clouds, trying to nail down a certain kind of light. Sargent’s sketch is like a visual diary entry, a way of recording her experience of the world. We, as viewers, become fellow travelers, invited to share in her observation.