Bomen 1885 - 1931

Curator: This drawing, "Bomen," meaning "Trees" in Dutch, is attributed to Willem Bastiaan Tholen, and likely dates from between 1885 and 1931. It is executed with graphite and pencil on paper. Editor: My immediate sense is of quiet observation. The sketch appears very immediate and captures a fleeting moment, or a space in transition; very atmospheric. Curator: Given the timeframe, the cultural moment surrounding Tholen situates him within a turn-of-the-century context. What does it communicate, framed by that epoch and what movements define this historical place? We see a kind of realist interest in the local terrain, combined with influences from Impressionism in its execution of rapid gestures. Editor: Yes, I am drawn to that too; nature becomes less about perfect representation and more about emotional and spiritual connection. The trunks are strong vertical elements, they convey notions of strength, certainly rootedness, and even spiritual aspiration. Forests themselves are so often tied to a journey motif. Do you see that here, the journey into the woods? Curator: I agree. It presents an engagement with nature removed from direct societal influences, suggesting perhaps a form of resistance or escapism that mirrors the period’s art movements of rebelling against the Industrial Age. Editor: Symbolically, consider the undergrowth depicted; it creates almost a deliberate barrier. Is the artist presenting a visual metaphor of concealment and quiet, which seems appropriate given those broad, societal disruptions and transitions during Tholen's lifetime? Curator: Certainly. And in examining gender in art history, where did women stand in landscape paintings during this epoch, especially considering a more traditional style of portraying landscapes or the changing dynamics involving depictions of women by impressionist artists? The social dimensions are there to be examined. Editor: Perhaps, in considering those questions, what initially seems like just a preliminary sketch could well become a meditation on more deeply seated emotional connections during such profound social and economic shifts. Thank you, a new lens has offered greater depth for this landscape! Curator: Agreed, exploring these various approaches brings new layers of perspective that ultimately gives richer insight into Tholen’s landscape work.