IJsbergen 1880 - 1886

Louis Apol made this sketch, ‘IJsbergen’, using graphite, to capture the quiet grandeur of icebergs. The composition divides the paper into distinct zones. Notice how the icebergs float against the pale ground of the paper. Apol uses soft, tentative lines to delineate these frozen forms, imbuing them with a sense of ethereality. These lines suggest rather than define. The texture is created through subtle gradations of graphite. These imbue the icebergs with volume without diminishing their spectral presence. Apol’s choice of graphite, a medium known for its subtlety and tonal range, enhances this sense of impermanence. The icebergs are presented not as solid, immutable objects, but as transient, almost mirage-like forms. This reflects the late 19th-century artistic interest in capturing fleeting moments and the sublime aspects of nature. Consider the artwork not just as a depiction of icebergs but as a study in form and atmosphere. It highlights the delicate balance between presence and absence and encourages us to contemplate the ephemeral nature of existence itself.