Zeil- en roeiboten op open water 1900 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen made this sketch of sailboats on open water with graphite on paper. The composition is stark, primarily using vertical and horizontal lines to create forms. Notice the subtle texture of the paper and the varying pressure of the graphite which give a sense of depth and movement. Tholen uses a semiotic system of signs to represent boats, water, and sky. But he does so with minimal detail. This reduction to essential forms invites us to consider the underlying structure of representation itself. The drawing challenges our conventional understanding of space and perspective. The visual language of the sketch engages with broader philosophical questions about how we perceive and interpret the world around us. The sketch is not just a depiction of sailboats, but an exploration of the act of seeing and the codes we use to translate visual experience into meaning.