Hutje aan de dijk bij Enkhuizen 1870 - 1931

Curator: Welcome. Here we have "Hutje aan de dijk bij Enkhuizen", or "Cottage on the Dyke near Enkhuizen," a pencil and pen drawing by Willem Bastiaan Tholen, created sometime between 1870 and 1931. Editor: It’s… serene. Starkly so. The landscape almost feels empty, despite all the detail packed into it. The cottage feels very solitary. Curator: Yes, Tholen's known for his realistic landscapes, often capturing the Dutch countryside's quiet beauty. Notice how the perspective leads your eye towards the town in the distance. Enkhuizen was a significant harbor in the Golden Age. Editor: Harbor towns always have this edge of melancholy. You can almost hear the wind. That single figure near the house makes me think of someone on the edge of civilization or something. Maybe it is simply waiting to sail away from it all, forever. Curator: These sketches would have allowed Tholen to capture transient conditions and feelings that could be expanded upon later, when he painted. It's interesting to consider the market for such art, and the way landscapes legitimized and strengthened the image of the Netherlands itself, as this imagery entered into a global visual culture. Editor: Oh, I find something touching in its humbleness and immediacy. Like a stolen moment captured on paper. Almost meditative. I can see myself in this scenery. Curator: Certainly the themes explored were very relatable and helped construct the cultural landscape, then and now. Editor: Ultimately, there’s something hopeful here. Or is that just my imagination? The simplicity really gets me. Curator: Whether it is "hope" or a comment on land management policy...that's what makes art like this so rewarding. It can be both. Editor: Right, like a really quiet conversation you don’t realize you're having, until you think you overheard yourself speaking back to yourself.