Zeilboot 1797 - 1838

This is Johannes Christiaan Schotel's "Zeilboot," a drawing rendered with graphite on paper. The initial impression is one of sparseness, with a stark white background dominating the composition, against which the skeletal form of a sailboat is sketched. The lines, thin and tentative, trace out the boat's structure with a focus on the abstract rather than the representational. There is a flattening of perspective here that disrupts traditional notions of depth. Schotel's use of line suggests a kind of semiotic exploration. The boat, as a sign, is deconstructed into its most basic elements, inviting us to contemplate the essence of maritime existence. Consider the interplay between the structural integrity of the vessel and the fluidity of the water it navigates. The artist challenges our understanding of maritime representation, engaging with the structural properties inherent in both the subject and the medium.