Haringbuis c. 1860

This delicate pencil drawing of a herring buss was created by Johan Conrad Greive. Its monochrome palette throws into sharp relief the textures of water, wood, and sailcloth, and demonstrates Greive’s mastery of the pencil as a tool. But let’s consider what’s not in this image. Greive made this drawing, but he didn't build the ship. The vessel represents a vast amount of labor, from felling trees to twisting ropes. The scene invites us to imagine the unseen workers who made this scene possible; those who processed the catch of herring, and others still, who made the tools for that work. The choice of pencil may seem slight, but it is significant. A pencil sketch is not as 'finished' as a painting. It is closer to the primary act of conception and design. In drawings like this, we sense a direct connection to both the materials and the making that underpin the entire economy of maritime labor.