Schepen in de Kruisbaai, Nova Zembla c. 1880 - 1887

Curator: This intriguing sketch, “Ships in the Cross Bay, Nova Zembla,” comes to us from Louis Apol. We believe it was created sometime between 1880 and 1887. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the raw energy of it, how incredibly sparse it is! There's this palpable feeling of the Arctic, so remote, stark. Like the world is just bones and wind. Curator: It is quite compelling. Given Apol's interest in the Arctic, and his broader focus on representing the Dutch landscape, this drawing connects us to complex histories of exploration, environmental awareness, and of course, the impact of climate change. Editor: You're right. Knowing that Apol was fascinated by these icy realms, I look closer and suddenly the roughness, that nearly abstract quality… it *is* the wind howling. Those frantic pencil lines, they're not mistakes, but more like shivers. Curator: Exactly! The piece provides insights into the artist’s experiences during an expedition to Nova Zembla. The materiality of the drawing – pencil and coloured pencil – underscores that raw sensibility you noted earlier. We must also consider the colonial contexts shaping European perspectives towards the Arctic during the late nineteenth century. Editor: Totally. There's almost a haunted quality too. It’s like, a record of the human impact already taking place back then. Thinking about ships braving the unknown, all that latent exploitation. You feel it here, almost humming in the whiteness. Curator: Considering Apol’s artistic contributions and positionality becomes key. As interpreters, we can’t afford to shy away from how this work operates within an intersectional historical landscape involving trade, science, and representation. Editor: Wow, makes you really see art not as just a picture but as… this portal to bigger, knotty questions. A simple sketch, but suddenly, you're in the thick of it. Amazing.