Stalagmieten c. 1841 - 1865

Petrus Johannes Schotel rendered this drawing of 'Stalagmieten' with pen and brown and gray ink, and brush in gray, a work currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The composition consists of vertical forms rendered in varying shades of gray, creating a somber tonality. Schotel uses layering of washes to suggest depth and three-dimensionality, while the linear quality of the pen work gives definition to the amorphous shapes. Considered through a structuralist lens, the stalagmites can be read as natural signifiers, whose meaning is derived from their relationship to one another and to the negative space surrounding them. The monochrome palette further emphasizes the structural essence of the forms, distilling the landscape to its most fundamental components. These stark, muted tones are not merely descriptive; they evoke a sense of the sublime, hinting at the complex interplay between nature and representation. As we contemplate this drawing, remember that the artist invites ongoing dialogue, challenging us to continuously interpret and reinterpret its forms and meanings.