Schip op de ruwe zee nabij een vuurtoren 1842

Editor: This is "Ship on the Rough Sea near a Lighthouse" by Henri François Schaefels, made in 1842 with pen and ink. The image is stark and rather dramatic! What jumps out to me is the energy in those sketched waves. How would you interpret this work? Curator: The pen and ink, seemingly simple tools, belie the complexity of production and its associated social realities. Ink, historically tied to record-keeping and dissemination of information, elevates the importance of this drawing. Editor: So, you see the *use* of ink, rather than just the image, as significant? Curator: Precisely. The availability and trade of these materials – the quality of the paper, the specific inks used, all speak to the infrastructure surrounding artmaking in the 19th century. Look at the rapid, almost frantic mark-making in the waves. Editor: I see it! It gives a real sense of movement, the churn of the sea! Curator: Think about the labor involved, not only in the artistic creation, but the production of the materials themselves, from the grinding of pigments to the processing of paper. Consider also the consumption; this drawing as a commodity, indicative of the growth of the art market. Is it celebrating the power of nature or silently acknowledging its danger? How do we consume the sublime? Editor: That’s… a lot to consider from a little drawing. I hadn’t thought about art in terms of its material background before. Curator: It’s a lens that brings new textures and tones into our understanding of a work, don’t you think? Every artwork has a story embedded in its very material. Editor: Definitely! This gives me a lot to think about when I see any work from now on, from painting to sculptures. Thank you.