Zeegezicht met een zeilschip 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this drawing, "Zeegezicht met een zeilschip," using a pencil on paper. The composition is dominated by vertical lines of varying thickness and intensity, suggesting a scene obscured by rain or perhaps the artist's fleeting impression of a seascape. The density of the lines on the right side contrasts with the sparser marks on the left, creating a dynamic visual rhythm. A small, angular form vaguely resembling a sailboat emerges from the right. Mauve’s mark-making transcends mere representation. The lines function almost independently, creating a semiotic system where the act of drawing becomes as important as the subject it depicts. The artwork destabilizes traditional landscape conventions by prioritizing mood and suggestion over detailed accuracy. The sketch’s power resides not in its literal depiction but in its ability to evoke a sense of atmosphere and movement, characteristic of the Hague School's interest in capturing transient effects of light and weather.