Zeeman met een zuidwester en een pijp 1836 - 1886

Hendrik Jacobus Scholten created this etching, "Seeman met een zuidwester en een pijp," using lines to create shades and shapes. Observe how Scholten's strategic use of line work defines the contours of the seaman's weathered face and clothing. Notice the southwester hat shading his gaze, and how the pipe in his mouth extends from one side of the face to the other. The hatching technique models the three-dimensional form through a density of lines. Light catches the high points and fades into shadow. This work embodies the structuralist concept of binary oppositions. The texture of the etching contrasts with the smooth plane of the paper, engaging the viewer in a dialogue between presence and absence. Through Scholten's formal choices, this piece functions as a signifier, opening a broader discourse about identity, labor, and the human condition.