Studie van een vissersscheepje before 1917

This graphite drawing of a fishing boat was made by Matthijs Maris, sometime in the 19th century. The work feels so provisional and spontaneous. You can see Maris working out how the vessel sits in the water, the mast stretching upwards, the figures on board. He seems to be thinking aloud, making lots of adjustments as he goes. I wonder if Maris felt the sense of freedom that comes with sketching? The kind of “anything goes” mentality when you can allow yourself to make mistakes. It is almost like the artist is thinking through drawing. You know, there’s a constant conversation going on in the studio – ideas get exchanged, things rub up against each other, old stuff gets repurposed. It makes me think about other artists who have captured vessels at sea, like Turner for instance. You can see how artists inspire each other. It’s a kind of relay race across time. Anyway, I find it very inspiring.