Zeilschip 1797 - 1838

Editor: So, this drawing, "Zeilschip," which translates to "Sailing Ship," by Johannes Christiaan Schotel, dating between 1797 and 1838. It's pencil on paper and displayed at the Rijksmuseum. It’s more technical than artistic, and I'm struck by the stark, almost skeletal, quality. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a ship's blueprint? Curator: Beyond the immediate imagery, I see whispers of maritime history. Schotel, so lovingly capturing these majestic vessels. To me, the seemingly unfinished quality hints at the fleeting nature of seafaring life; journeys started but not always completed, a ship in constant flux. Isn't it almost more about the idea of a ship, than the physical object itself? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn't thought about the "idea" of a ship. I was so focused on the sparseness of the rendering. It felt very detached. Curator: Perhaps. But to me the open sketchbook and unfinished drawing allow my imagination to join Schotel. Do you hear the creak of the timbers? Feel the rocking of the waves? Almost as if he intends for me to finish the picture myself. It is very Zen isn’t it? In its very emptiness, it hints at infinite possibility! Editor: I never thought of it that way. It felt cold to me, but I get it; there is a vulnerability and the start of an adventure. The sketch asks for completion in imagination. Curator: Precisely! And that interplay between absence and potential is where its true magic lies. Editor: That's really changed my perspective. I’ll never look at unfinished sketches the same way again. Curator: Ah, to truly see and wonder and interpret, to travel back in time with Schotel at the helm. It brings tears to my old weary eyes.