Houdt moedig zee 1915

This earthenware plate painted by De Porceleijne Fles features a sailboat rendered in shades of blue. There is a refreshing simplicity in the way the artist has approached mark-making, especially with the waves. It's as if the brushstrokes themselves embody the ebb and flow of the sea. I find myself drawn to the texture of the glaze, it's smooth, but you can see how the pigment settles into the grooves, especially in the darker blues of the waves and the sails. Notice the brushstrokes around the perimeter, the controlled repetition of the teardrop shapes creates a gentle rhythm. The painting is not about the perfection of form, but about the expression of movement. The painter’s decision to include the date “1915” on the sail is an interesting detail. It makes me think of forebears like James Ensor, who embraced a kind of raw, almost childlike approach to image-making. In art, as in life, it’s often the imperfections, the wobbles, that make something truly special.