Rokend bemanningslid (Lowie) op wacht c. 1880 - 1886

Louis Apol made this sketch of a smoking crew member on watch with graphite on paper. The image offers a glimpse into the maritime culture of the Netherlands during the late 19th or early 20th century. Apol, known for his landscapes and winter scenes, here turns his attention to the working class, and this sketch may have served as a study for a larger painting. The sketch captures a sense of everyday life on board a ship, highlighting the role of tobacco in providing comfort and companionship to sailors during long voyages. The image offers a valuable glimpse into the social and labor conditions of maritime workers during a period of significant transformation in naval technology and global trade. To fully understand the context, a historian might consider consulting archival sources, maritime records, and social histories of Dutch seafaring. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context, and the work of the art historian is to shed light on these conditions of its making.