Zeilschip 1900 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen sketched "Zeilschip" with pen on paper, a study in seeing, and artmaking as a process of trying to capture a feeling. The thin lines create a sense of lightness, like the breeze filling the sails. The texture of the paper peeks through, reminding us of the physical act of drawing. Look at the way the artist suggests the mast with just a few strokes. It is so simple, but it implies everything! This kind of reduction, of distilling an image to its essence, is a powerful tool. Tholen reminds me of the sketches of Constable, both artists so in tune with the elements. Art is never just about what we see, but about how we see, and how that vision connects us to the world.