Studieblad met diverse toeschouwers op de rug gezien 1870 - 1931

Curator: Here we have Willem Bastiaan Tholen's "Studieblad met diverse toeschouwers op de rug gezien," dating from 1870 to 1931. It's currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. What strikes you immediately? Editor: It's evocative. Despite being a quick sketch in pencil, it manages to capture the hustle and bustle of what appears to be a public gathering. The lack of detail almost adds to the sense of movement and fleeting moments. Curator: Precisely. Tholen gives us a glimpse into the world of everyday spectators, turning their collective act of witnessing into his subject matter. I find it particularly interesting that we see them from behind, as it removes individuality and focuses on their shared experience. Think about that in the context of the late 19th century, the burgeoning of public life and mass culture… Editor: And what materials did he use, right? The medium lends itself to that feeling of immediacy, like a quick snapshot of the time, or notes in an art journal. The very act of drawing with a readily available material, the humble pencil, allows him to capture the ephemeral. It connects with impressionistic fleeting images too. It's like the artist is a material witness himself! Curator: Exactly! There is a strong element of social commentary implicit within the formal experimentation too, in how it’s rendered; The study explores the relationship between the individual and the crowd in a rapidly changing society. How individuals lose visibility in the mass, in modernity... Editor: Do you think? What also attracts my interest is how he explores a number of subjects here in one canvas; The way the various figures are scattered suggests to me it may be exploring future themes or works. It's the means to explore different forms by repeating and experimenting with figure postures, testing material, light... It might not be so social as simply visual... Curator: Perhaps both, at the same time, because the very act of making the artwork itself it situated inside that cultural and socio-historical moment too. Thanks for sharing. Editor: Thanks to you, an enriching examination.