Gezicht op een baai van Nova Zembla met gletsjer Possibly 1880 - 1888

This is Louis Apol's sketch of a bay in Nova Zembla with a glacier, created in 1880. Apol was known for his winter landscapes, often romanticizing the stark beauty of the Arctic. This sketch however, made during an expedition to the island, gives us insight into the cultural narrative of exploration of the time. These voyages, often framed as scientific endeavors, were also deeply rooted in colonial ambitions. The sketch captures a moment of encounter with a landscape, and the artist's inscription talks of the 'anxieties' he experienced. Consider the emotional implications of this depiction. The sketch reduces the landscape to a set of lines, it invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between exploration, representation, and the imposition of human narratives onto the natural world. What does it mean to witness, to document, to claim?