Duinlandschap 1870 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen sketched this landscape with pencil, capturing the essence of a dune environment. The linear strokes form the basic elements: earth, scrubs, and sky. Consider the humble bush, a motif recurring throughout art history. From the dense thickets in Renaissance tapestries symbolizing fertility and the wildness of nature, to the carefully pruned topiary in formal gardens representing control and order, the bush embodies a dialogue between nature and culture. Here, the scrubs convey the raw, untamed aspect of the dunes. The psychological weight of this image lies in its simplicity, a direct, unadorned rendering of nature which reminds us of the inherent human connection to the earth. It is an echo of primal landscapes, stirring collective memories.