Schepen op het strand 1797 - 1838

Johannes Christiaan Schotel created this drawing, "Ships on the Beach," using graphite on paper. The casual strokes of the pencil might lead you to think this is just a preliminary sketch, but I'd suggest it is more than that. The drawing is focused on industry and labor. You can see shipbuilders on the beach, working on the boats, perhaps repairing them. In the distance, a large ship is waiting. Notice how the artist captured the beached boats. The tonal variation in the pencil shading suggests the weight and texture of the wood, the specific tools and techniques required to build such enormous vessels. The figures are roughly hewn. Schotel's drawing, with its deft manipulation of graphite, directs our attention to the workers and the ships they constructed. It reminds us that behind every object lies a story of labor, skill, and human ingenuity.