Boats on Ocean n.d.

Jan van Goyen created this drawing, "Boats on Ocean," using pen and brown ink, with gray wash on paper. The rough strokes capture the churning sea and ominous sky, setting a somber mood. The choice of ink and wash, humble materials, emphasizes the immediacy and raw energy of the scene. The lines of the ship's rigging and the choppy waves show van Goyen's mastery of his materials. But the drawing also hints at the wider world of maritime trade and labor, a world dominated by the Dutch in the 17th century. The boats, though small in the vastness of the ocean, are testaments to human ingenuity and hard work. The skilled hands that built and sailed them are part of this story, as is the larger economic system that propelled these vessels across the seas. In the end, it's the interplay between material, technique, and context that gives this seemingly simple drawing its profound depth.