The Momus 1909

Antonio Jacobsen made this painting of The Momus, but we don't know exactly when, and that's ok! Jacobsen painted a lot of ships, but this one’s got a certain something in the way the brushstrokes build up the waves. It’s all about process, you know? The painting feels kind of raw and honest. You can almost feel the sea spray on your face! Look closely, and you can see the way he uses thick, choppy strokes of white and green to create the sense of movement. The dark, ominous clouds rolling in above the ship give the painting a certain sense of drama. The way Jacobsen captures the light glinting off the crests of the waves is really something. It's like he’s saying, "Here it is, life on the open water, wild and untamed!" Jacobsen’s got a similar touch to someone like Winslow Homer, but with a bit more of a naive edge. It's like he’s just trying to capture the essence of the thing. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.