Zeilschip aangemeerd aan een kade, vermoedelijk in Enkhuizen 1900 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen made this pencil sketch of a sailboat docked at a quay, likely in Enkhuizen. Imagine Tholen, sketchbook in hand, rapidly capturing the scene before him. The masts and rigging reach skyward, a dance of lines against the backdrop of quaint buildings. What might he have been thinking? Perhaps he was simply drawn to the play of light on the water, or the quiet industry of the harbor. There's a real economy of line, a sense of immediacy. The buildings are described with minimal detail, yet they evoke a sense of place. And that little dog in the corner – what's his story? I like how the eye moves around the page, following the lines, constructing the scene for yourself. It reminds me of sketches by Whistler or even Manet, but with a Dutch sensibility. It's a conversation across time, these artists inspiring one another, each adding their own voice to the story of seeing.