Figuur op een zeilboot c. 1909s

Alexander Shilling made this drawing of a figure on a sailboat in a sketchbook, probably sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The quick, light marks suggest the artist was trying to capture a fleeting impression, an image seen from a distance perhaps. It’s interesting how the two sides of the page almost mirror each other, but not quite. On the left, we have what looks like a more detailed rendering of the figure and the boat, while on the right, it’s more abstracted, reduced to a few essential lines. Look at how the shading is made with quick and light marks, and how on the right hand side, the artist is only using line. It's as if the artist is experimenting with different ways of seeing the same subject. This reminds me of the sketches of Constable, who was always trying to capture the ever-changing effects of light and atmosphere. Ultimately, art is about seeing and interpreting the world around us, and this little drawing invites us to do just that.