Seascape c. 17th century

Curator: This is "Seascape," a drawing at the Harvard Art Museums attributed to Cornelis Pietersz de Mooy. I’m immediately struck by the ghostly quality. Editor: Yes! It feels like a memory half-erased, a story whispered on the wind. Those ships huddled on the horizon, under the flags, what are they waiting for? Curator: Perhaps the wind, or a signal. Flags, ships, waves—these are potent symbols of nationhood, commerce, and the unpredictable power of nature. Editor: The water is really active. I can feel the rocking. It’s a bit unsettling, this calm chaos. I feel like these seafarers are at the mercy of forces beyond themselves. Curator: Indeed. A seascape can be a portrait of human ambition dwarfed by the immensity and indifference of the sea. Editor: Like a stage set, and we are all just players. I love how the artist captured that feeling with so few lines. It really hits home. Curator: It speaks to a timeless human experience, doesn't it? Our enduring relationship with the sea. Editor: Absolutely. Makes you wonder about the stories hidden in those waves, still waiting to be told.