Bemanningslid leunt tegen een sloep c. 1880 - 1886

This pencil drawing of a figure leaning against a boat was made by Louis Apol, a Dutch painter associated with the Hague School. Apol lived during a time of rapid industrialization. His choice to focus on serene winter landscapes and scenes of traditional life, like this one, can be viewed as a response to the changing world around him. The detailed sketch invites us to consider the life and labor of this anonymous figure. What were his working conditions? What was his social standing? The image may evoke a sense of nostalgia, but it also prompts us to think about the social realities and class structures of the time. It is important to consider whose stories are often left out of the grand narratives of history, and to reflect on the lives of the everyday laborers who keep society afloat.