Zeilboot met gestreken zeilen 1797 - 1838

This is Johannes Christiaan Schotel’s sketch of a sailboat with its sails furled, rendered in graphite on paper. The drawing presents a study in contrasts, where the delicate interplay of light and shadow brings a dormant vessel to life. Schotel masterfully uses sparse lines to define the boat’s form, contrasting the solid structure with the fluid lines of the draped sails. This strategic placement and delicate rendering of the sailboat creates a dynamic tension that invites the viewer to ponder the silent potential held within the composition. The predominantly empty space serves not as a void, but as a field of possibilities. By isolating the boat, Schotel draws attention to its inherent qualities—its shape, its texture, and its form. This compositional choice reflects a broader artistic interest in deconstructing and re-evaluating the familiar through abstraction. The drawing functions as an open invitation for ongoing interpretation and imaginative engagement, where form meets the boundless potential of human perception.