Schip in nood voor een kust c. 1825 - 1875

Petrus Johannes Schotel rendered "Ship in Distress off a Coast" using pen and brush in grey ink around the mid-19th century. Schotel, who came from a family of painters, specialized in marine art. At the time, the Netherlands was still reckoning with its legacy as a major seafaring power, complete with all the attending implications of colonialism and the exploitation of both human and natural resources. "Ship in Distress off a Coast" invites consideration of maritime power, while evoking both its grandeur and precarity. Note the monochromatic palette and the turbulent waves which convey the drama of a ship struggling against the sea's force. A small rescue boat is shown carrying passengers toward the shore. On the coast, we see figures gathered, presumably to receive the rescued, their faces etched with concern. Schotel’s emotionally charged composition captures a moment of vulnerability. It also references the human stakes involved when facing the immense power of nature.