Schepen in de haven van Hamburg 1851 - 1902

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande made this drawing of ships in Hamburg harbor using graphite. The scene captures a moment in the bustling port, an engine of Germany’s late 19th-century economic expansion. Consider the visual language used here. The industrial forms of the steamships are rendered with a delicate touch, and the artist seems interested in capturing the atmosphere of the harbor, with its mist and light, as much as the ships themselves. Germany was rapidly industrializing and becoming a major player in international trade and naval power. The harbor would have been a site of constant activity, connecting Germany to the world. By depicting this scene, van 's-Gravesande engages with the contemporary concerns of his time. If we want to understand the image better, we could research the history of Hamburg's port, or investigate the artist's other works and writings. The historian can find ways to bring these different kinds of sources into conversation.