Gezicht op de Barentszzee met ijsbergen 1880

Editor: We’re looking at Louis Apol's "View of the Barents Sea with Icebergs," a pencil drawing from 1880, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. There’s something so quiet about it; it feels like a memory fading into the paper. What strikes you when you look at this sketch? Curator: You know, that quietness you feel is precisely what captivates me. It's more than just a landscape; it’s a feeling. I sense the stark isolation of the Arctic, that immense, frozen silence that dwarfs everything. Apol doesn't give us grand, majestic icebergs. Instead, it’s these quiet forms sketched on paper. There's a meditative quality here, isn't there? Almost as if Apol is whispering a secret about the pole. Editor: Absolutely, a whisper! The subtle shading makes them appear almost cloud-like. Was Apol known for these kinds of more understated works? Curator: Good observation! While Apol is known for his winter landscapes, this is, perhaps, more intimate. It feels immediate, a captured moment. Almost like a plein air sketch. A personal response more than a grand statement, you know? It makes me wonder what he was thinking. I can almost feel that cold wind on my face, which makes this artwork so wonderfully transportive. Editor: I can see that. Looking at the image I definitely feel that quiet stillness that you’re both speaking of. Curator: I'm delighted you’re picking up on it too. This has given me a new appreciation of the artwork! Editor: Likewise. I’m grateful for your insight and new perspective on what I initially took as an unfinished landscape drawing.