Zeilend schip 1870 - 1931

Curator: Right, let's turn our attention to Willem Bastiaan Tholen's "Zeilend schip," which roughly translates to "Sailing Ship," dating from around 1870 to 1931. It's an etching, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately, I feel this incredible solitude, a quiet struggle against the elements. It's almost monochromatic, rendered with such delicacy in the etched lines. What do you make of that dominant gray, the absence of stark contrasts? Curator: Well, as an etching, it speaks to the printmaking process. Tholen would have laboriously created this image on a metal plate. This wasn't about flamboyant colour; it's about the line, the tone, and the subtle variations he achieves within the medium. It emphasizes the work, you know? Editor: Absolutely, the materiality shines. I think about the biting of acid, the wiping of the plate...but for me, it feels deeply personal. Like a memory, slightly faded but potent. I sense a conversation between human skill and mechanical process that speaks to its industrial and commercial possibilities. Did Tholen focus on landscape mostly, or did he produce works in other genres? Curator: Mostly landscapes, yes, capturing the Dutch skies, waters, and harbors he knew intimately. There’s a realism there. His relationship with the Hague School is evident here. However, in focusing on process, it's easy to overlook how skilled he was at evoking atmosphere, that feeling. The ship, despite its size in the frame, feels vulnerable. Editor: Perhaps that's intentional. The sea can humble anyone, the material circumstances of the working fisher. It emphasizes that the technology is also at nature's mercy, even within the art’s method of production, and also allows us to see beyond nostalgia towards a critique about environmental issues. Curator: Hmm, quite. Perhaps we each read our own moment into the artwork! It is interesting how it manages to feel both industrial and handcrafted. For Tholen it really represented the everyday beauty. It seems almost effortless, until one contemplates the steps to making an etching print. Editor: Precisely. That tension, between effort and ease, labor and representation...it makes the image so much richer to consider. Thank you for this art talk! Curator: The pleasure was all mine! This etching’s deceptive simplicity holds layers indeed.