Drie studies op één blad 1870 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen rendered these "Three Studies on One Sheet" with pen and brush in brown ink. Dominating each study are the boats; these vessels, symbols of passage, trade, and connection, carry a rich historical weight. Consider how the motif of the boat appears across cultures and epochs. From the Egyptian solar barques ferrying pharaohs to the afterlife, to Viking longships carrying warriors across treacherous seas, the boat embodies the journey through life, the crossing of boundaries between worlds. Here, Tholen captures a more quotidian image: fishing vessels and sailboats drifting along the shore. We observe a deep, collective memory at play, where the symbol of the boat evokes not only practical transport but also profound emotional and psychological associations, a potent reminder of our ceaseless journey through time. This archetype, ever-present in art and culture, speaks to the cyclical nature of human experience, and how these cultural memories resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings.