Zeilschepen 1900 - 1931

This drawing of sailboats was made by Willem Bastiaan Tholen, and it’s, well, a drawing. It’s graphite on paper, and you can see the lines of the notebook coming through the image. Looking at the work, I'm struck by its raw immediacy. The lines are quick, confident, and there’s a sense of energy that just leaps off the page. It’s like we’re catching a glimpse of Tholen’s thought process as he tries to capture the essence of these boats. The texture of the graphite creates a kind of subtle sheen, giving the image a tactile quality. The way the artist has captured the sails, with these dynamic lines, reminds me of the futurist work of Umberto Boccioni, even though he worked later. Both artists seem interested in capturing movement and speed. Like any sketch, this is less about a perfect representation and more about exploring possibilities.