Zeilbootje 1869 - 1941

Johannes Abraham Mondt made this drawing of a sailboat, using what looks like graphite on paper. It’s all about the process here, isn't it? Mondt isn't trying to trick us into thinking this *is* a sailboat; he's showing us how he's *thinking* about a sailboat. Check out the marks he’s making; they’re tentative, searching. The texture of the paper is visible through the graphite, which adds to the sense of lightness and air. Notice the dark scribbles that make up the sail, it's almost as if the movement of the boat and water has been transferred directly onto the page. The horizon line is barely there, just a suggestion. This piece reminds me of drawings by Twombly, or even Guston, because it feels like the artist is feeling his way through the subject, rather than trying to nail it down. This is the kind of art that embraces ambiguity, and leaves room for our own imaginations to set sail.