Twee figuren bij een zeilschip 1870 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen sketched "Two Figures by a Sailing Ship" with pen and ink, capturing a scene imbued with the symbology of maritime life. The ship, an emblem of journeys and transitions, carries us across the waters of consciousness. Observe how the figures on deck, though simply rendered, evoke a profound sense of human presence amidst the vastness of the sea. The ship, from ancient Egyptian barques carrying souls to the afterlife, to Viking longboats, represents a vessel for transformation. The mast, piercing the sky, is a visual echo of the axis mundi, the world's axis, connecting the earthly with the divine. This symbol, which we find in ancient temples and Renaissance paintings, is a testament to our enduring quest for meaning, constantly reappearing and evolving, driven by the collective human psyche.