View of the sea 1914

This drawing of the sea was made by Emil Rudolf Weiß, and it's all about the push and pull of charcoal on paper. You can feel the hand moving, smudging, building up darks and lights, like a dance across the surface. What strikes me is the raw, almost unfinished quality. It's like Weiß is thinking out loud, letting us see the process of capturing this vast, moody seascape. The way he renders the clouds, those turbulent, smudged shapes, gives you a real sense of the atmosphere, like a storm’s just passed. Look at the horizon line and how it dissolves into the water, it's so subtle and soft. Then you’ve got these little sailboats, just a few quick lines, adding a touch of human presence to all that nature. It reminds me a bit of Turner's seascapes, that same feeling of sublime, overwhelming nature. But Weiß does it with this beautiful, understated touch. It's not about grand gestures, it’s more like a quiet meditation on the sea.