Vervallen Russische grafkruisen op Wrangeleiland in de Kruisbaai, Nova Zembla 1880

This pencil drawing of abandoned Russian grave crosses on Wrangel Island, Nova Zembla, was made by Louis Apol. The artist has chosen a simple medium here, pencil on paper, which has its own cultural coding. Pencil, particularly, signals preparatory work; we see its use in architectural plans, and early photography. The artist is bearing witness, taking down information, with a level of immediacy that can also be associated with the medium of drawing. The artist has sketched an isolated and desolate scene. The makeshift grave markers, rendered in minimal detail, suggest a harsh environment and perhaps the remains of an ill-fated expedition. The marks on the paper suggest not just the form of the crosses but also their texture and weight. With a few strokes, Apol conveys a sense of decay, and a somber acknowledgment of human mortality. By focusing on material and context, we can see beyond the apparent simplicity of this work and appreciate its complex layers of meaning, its cultural associations, and historical realities.