Sketch of Figures and Boats (from Sketchbook X) 1885

This is William Trost Richards' "Sketch of Figures and Boats" from Sketchbook X, a pencil drawing made sometime in the late 19th century. The composition features loosely rendered figures and boats scattered across the page, creating a sense of spatial ambiguity. Richards’ sketching method explores the interplay between line and void, inviting the viewer to engage actively with the process of visual construction. The marks, while representational, lean towards abstraction. They hint at form without fully committing to it. The drawing can be interpreted through the lens of semiotics. The boats, figures, and even the isolated face could be seen as signs within a larger cultural narrative, open for interpretation. Richards challenges fixed meanings by presenting images as fleeting impressions. He destabilizes traditional representation by emphasizing the subjective experience of seeing and recording. The overall effect is a meditation on the nature of perception. It suggests that meaning is not inherent but emerges from the act of observation.