West-Indiëvaarder 1820 - 1872

This black chalk and brush drawing depicts a West Indiaman, rendered by Hendrik Abraham Klinkhamer. The wispy quality of the drawing medium contrasts sharply with the solid reality of these vessels. West Indiamen were built of oak and other hardwoods to withstand long ocean voyages to the Caribbean. The drawings would have been made with prepared chalk that was manufactured and sold, an industrialized version of naturally occurring chalk. Note the subtle gradations of tone, achieved through skillful manipulation of the chalk. Ships like this one were essential for trade and transport. They carried goods like sugar, tobacco, and enslaved people. This drawing exists because of a vast infrastructure of labor and capital, connecting the artist’s studio to global networks of commerce. Considering the materials and processes involved gives us a deeper understanding of the complex story behind this seemingly simple image, blurring the lines between art, craft, and the wider world.