Man uitkijkend over een zee met een zeilschip 1841 - 1853

Johannes Tavenraat created this image of a man overlooking a sea with a sailboat using graphite and possibly ink on paper. The marks are quickly applied, resulting in a study, rather than a finished picture. Despite its apparent simplicity, close examination reveals the artist's hand at work to capture light and texture, from the rough waves, to the fisherman's distinct garb. You can see that the artist used hatching and cross-hatching to build up the shaded areas of the figure, giving him volume and depth. The medium invites subtle gradations in tone and detail. The artist's choices of materials, combined with his technique, results in an image that has both a sense of immediacy and timelessness. The sketch feels like a moment captured, and in some ways, invites us to think about all the labor connected with the marine world. The fisherman, the sailor, and of course the artist himself. Appreciating the materials and processes used by an artist helps us fully understand and appreciate the rich social and cultural context of a work like this, challenging the traditional separation of art and craft.