Gezicht op een kanaal tussen de ijsplaten in de Karazee before 1886

H. Ekama’s monochromatic drawing, *Gezicht op een kanaal tussen de ijsplaten in de Karazee*, presents a stark landscape. Dominating the composition is a formidable ice wall, rendered with fine lines. This vertical mass establishes a powerful sense of scale and depth. The drawing emphasizes the formal qualities of line and tone to convey texture and volume. The ice’s jagged edges and the gradations in shading suggest not only a physical environment but also a symbolic space of exploration and discovery. It uses vertical lines to emphasize height. The monochromatic palette limits the sensory input, focusing the viewer’s attention on the structural elements of the scene. This formal constraint invites semiotic interpretation. The icy landscape is not merely depicted; it is constructed as a signifier of the sublime, hinting at themes of human endeavor, the overwhelming power of nature, and the philosophical search for meaning within starkness. Here, Ekama presents a scene that exists at the intersection of observation, representation, and symbolic expression.