Scheepshond Sailor en de Willem Barentsz c. 1880s

This sketch by Louis Apol, whose date is unknown, depicts a ship's dog, Sailor, alongside the Willem Barentsz. The composition strikes a balance between representation and abstraction. Apol’s use of line is particularly notable. Thin, quick strokes define the scene, the ship, and the dog with minimal detail. The grid of the paper provides a stark structural counterpoint to the fluidity of the sketch, highlighting the intersection between spontaneity and underlying order. Apol is not just rendering a scene, but also investigating the fundamentals of visual language. The interplay between what is depicted and how it is depicted brings to mind structuralist thought, where meaning comes from the structural relationships within a system. Consider, too, the interplay between presence and absence. The sketch evokes the idea that meaning is created as much by what is left out as by what is included. It invites us to contemplate how the artwork destabilizes established meanings and engages with new ways of thinking about space and representation.