Afgemeerde zeilschepen voor een kust 1797 - 1838

This page of sketches by Johannes Christiaan Schotel, found in the Rijksmuseum, presents us with a study in maritime forms. The artist's pencil teases out the complex geometries of sailing ships. The composition invites us to consider the structure of these vessels, focusing on their abstract shapes. Schotel uses line to define the skeletal framework of masts and rigging. Notice how each shape occupies its own space yet is related to another through a network of lines. This creates a sense of depth and volume while remaining firmly rooted on the flat surface of the page. The repetitive use of linear elements in the construction of each ship recalls early Cubist experiments with fragmented forms. The arrangement of sketches on the page suggests a dialectic between the detailed and the suggestive, prompting us to question the role of observation in art. Is it about recording or interpreting? Perhaps both.