Zeilboten op het water 1914 - 1916

Editor: Here we have "Zeilboten op het water," or "Sailboats on the Water," by Willem Cornelis Rip, created sometime between 1914 and 1916. It's a delicate pencil and pen drawing, seemingly capturing a fleeting moment. The sketchiness adds to the atmospheric quality. What strikes me is the very evident process and labor that went into creating even this quick sketch. How would you interpret this work? Curator: Considering the materiality of this work is key. The artist chose humble materials - pencil and paper – readily available tools linked to both artistic exploration and perhaps everyday accounting or record-keeping. The "pen sketch" tag is also interesting; that simple implement creates outlines and shapes here. Note, too, that this isn’t a highly finished piece but seems more exploratory, a study. What kind of labor do you imagine went into making this work? Editor: Perhaps repetitive, the artist using basic tools to sketch this landscape view. I notice the varied pressures in the drawing – some lines are darker and more defined, others light and almost ephemeral. Could that signify a hierarchy in the materials of art making? Curator: Hierarchy, maybe. Or consider it this way: the sketch emphasizes process. It prioritizes exploration of form and composition over any illusion of finished “art object.” The raw simplicity pushes against the then-prevailing traditions separating so-called “high art” from the quotidian practice of drawing and observation, a subtle resistance. Think about the labor that produced industrially made materials during the war years in which the artwork was made. How might those experiences have encouraged an artist to prefer a drawing that features marks of their hand? Editor: It’s like Rip is reclaiming art-making as a human, tangible activity, emphasizing the direct connection between hand, tool, and paper, making it a form of quiet protest against mass-produced items. Curator: Precisely! By foregrounding the labor and materials, this humble sketch speaks volumes about the very definition of art. Editor: It reframes what we value. It's more than just sailboats on water. Curator: Indeed; it's about the materiality of seeing and making.