Wolken en eenden 1870 - 1931

Curator: This is "Wolken en eenden"—Clouds and Ducks—a pencil drawing on paper by Willem Bastiaan Tholen, dating roughly from 1870 to 1931. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression is quiet observation. It feels like sneaking a glance into someone's sketchbook, a private moment of appreciation for simple, natural forms. Curator: Absolutely. Tholen’s impressionistic approach really shines here. It’s less about precise representation and more about capturing the fleeting essence of those clouds and the ducks. The varying density of the pencil lines almost mimics the weight and texture of actual clouds, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: The way the forms emerge and recede due to the pencil work is striking. The ducks are rendered with a soft, almost blurred outline, which suggests movement or perhaps the hazy quality of memory. Are they swimming or flying; the lack of a clear distinction gives them an ethereal quality. Curator: Indeed, this blurring, the impressionistic sketchiness... it pulls us in. It is more a study in light and atmosphere than a zoological illustration. You get a sense of Tholen simply enjoying the act of seeing. Editor: The composition avoids anything approaching the traditional. The figures are dispersed seemingly at random, allowing one's gaze to roam freely. There is almost a musical rhythm, isn’t there, in the repetition and variation of forms? Curator: That’s perceptive. It's an understated rhythm. Tholen captures not just the physical attributes of these ducks and clouds but also, dares I say, a specific mood tied to the Dutch landscape. Editor: What strikes me is that there isn't a traditional focal point. Our eye bounces between the clusters of ducks and the amorphous clouds, preventing any one area from dominating. This suggests that all elements are of equal value in the artist's experience. Curator: Well observed. And, on closer viewing, there's an unpretentious charm here—a gentle, quiet connection with the world around us. Almost an invitation to embrace the beauty of the ordinary. Editor: Exactly. It reminds us to pay attention to the everyday ballet of nature, the fleeting poetry in clouds and ducks and the impressions we attach to these glimpses.