Figuren bij een reeks bomen aan de waterkant 1900 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen made this drawing, Figuren bij een reeks bomen aan de waterkant, with graphite on paper and, I imagine him outside by the water's edge with his sketchbook on his lap. The gestures are a mix of short, quick strokes for the foliage and longer, flowing lines defining the shapes of the trees. He captures the light filtering through the leaves with a kind of scribble, and the texture of the bark with denser marks. I sympathize with Tholen here, as he’s trying to transcribe the experience of being in nature. The pressure of the graphite varies, creating depth and shadow, with some lines barely there, and others much darker and bolder. The marks almost have a life of their own. It reminds me that drawing, like painting, is a physical act, an embodied practice. I imagine him considering how other artists have done similar work, and like all artists, carrying on a visual conversation across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling. This piece reminds us that art is an ongoing dialogue that embraces ambiguity.