Havengezicht 1885 - 1937

Curator: Instantly, I feel like I'm peering through a slightly foggy lens, or perhaps just waking up. The world feels muted, sketched softly into being. Editor: That's an interesting take. I see something quite different. This ink drawing, called "Havengezicht," which roughly translates to "Harbor View," was created by Johan Hendrik van Mastenbroek, sometime between 1885 and 1937. It strikes me as an industrial landscape, full of activity and labour. It makes me think about dockworkers and the precarity of port cities. Curator: Precarity, yes, but the fuzziness makes it dreamlike, almost. I mean, it's skillfully rendered with pencil and ink on paper, but the soft gradations remind me more of a hazy memory. Editor: The smokestacks in the distance, combined with the monumental ship being repaired, those images speak to broader shifts happening in the late 19th century as Europe embraced industrialisation. Were the working class benefiting from these changes or were they at its mercy? Curator: See, I wasn't thinking about any of that. It’s almost a blank canvas emotionally, inviting one to project one's own feelings onto the scene, maybe it's just the melancholy beauty of decay. The blurred lines, even the reflections in the water feel heavy and resigned. Editor: Right, but what resonates for me is less the artistic effect and more what this represents. Ports throughout Europe played pivotal roles in both commerce and also colonialism, exploitation, and labour struggles. To represent it like this invites us to think about the systems at play. The infrastructure required for global trade is immense. Curator: Sure, sure. I do also find myself wondering what sounds would have accompanied this scene. I wonder what voices it contains. Editor: Exactly, and who's voice do we usually hear when discussing art and who is silenced? Thank you, that thought makes me realize, in fact, I am completely compelled by how Mastenbroek represents the sheer volume and presence of industrialisation without romanticizing it, prompting reflections on human endeavor. Curator: Okay, now I like it. What started as this sort of vague, pretty scene in my mind suddenly has edges, becomes complicated and nuanced, even for a dreamer like me. Thank you for the insight.