Zeilschepen voor anker aan de waterkant 1900 - 1931

Editor: This pen and ink drawing, "Zeilschepen voor anker aan de waterkant," created by Willem Bastiaan Tholen sometime between 1900 and 1931, gives me a sense of quiet stillness. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Primarily, I observe the dynamic interplay between line and form. Tholen's strategic use of the pen generates varied tonal values which, along with the orientation on the page, suggests an immediate yet sustained visual engagement with the subject matter. Do you notice how the density of the ink strokes defines the spatial relationships of the sailboats and shoreline? Editor: Yes, I see how the darker, heavier lines ground the ships, while the lighter strokes suggest distance and reflection in the water. It almost feels unfinished, like a sketch. Curator: Indeed, the inherent incompleteness becomes a significant part of its aesthetic value. This treatment spotlights Tholen's deft manipulation of visual weight; the eye moves between areas of high detail, such as the rigging of the ships, to the more ambiguous, almost abstract treatment of the shore. What, for you, does that incompleteness signify? Editor: It makes me focus more on the composition itself rather than getting lost in the details of the scene. The sparseness emphasizes the shapes and their relationship. Curator: Precisely. The drawing privileges structure over subject. The visible texture of the page and the deliberate variation in linework foreground the materiality of the piece itself. The subject then serves the aesthetic properties and not the other way around. Editor: I never thought about it that way, but it really shifts my focus to the artistic choices that were made, the emphasis is clearly on form. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, it is always rewarding to engage with artworks through the lens of visual elements.