Tuigage Possibly 1851 - 1854

Editor: This is "Tuigage," a pencil drawing dating from the mid-19th century, possibly around 1851 to 1854, by Hendrik Abraham Klinkhamer. It's a simple sketch, seemingly of masts and rigging. It has this very fleeting quality; like the artist quickly captured a moment. What do you see in it? Curator: Ah, fleeting. Yes! More than a mere depiction, isn’t it? Look closely. To me, it's the *essence* of rigging. Think of Turner, right? But distilled, stripped down. It reminds me of catching glimpses of sailboats when you are walking around the harbor...you know when the sun flares just right. What does rigging *feel* like? Klinkhamer wasn’t trying to show you every rope and knot, but the *idea* of them. Doesn’t it evoke a sense of being near the sea? Editor: Absolutely, I can feel the sea air now that you mention it! Is that intentional though, or am I just reading too much into a preliminary sketch? Curator: Isn't that the point, though? Intentionality is overrated. The joy of a sketch is its immediacy. We see the artist thinking. This isn’t a finished painting meant to impress a patron. It’s… freer than that. More him! Editor: So, the imperfection *is* the appeal? Curator: Precisely! It’s like finding a crumpled note from a poet - the raw material of beauty. The artist is almost confiding in the viewer in an incomplete, intimate way. Do you see what I mean? Editor: I think so. It feels a lot more approachable now. I guess beauty isn't always about meticulous detail. Curator: Right! And sometimes, the most beautiful voyages start with the simplest sketch, a wisp of an idea! Editor: I'll definitely remember that when I visit the harbor myself. Thanks!