Rivierlandschap 1900 - 1931

This is a river landscape drawing by Willem Bastiaan Tholen, made using graphite on paper. What strikes me most about this piece is its immediacy; it feels like a thought caught in motion, a fleeting impression recorded directly from life. Look closely, and you'll see the texture of the paper showing through the delicate strokes of graphite. The artist hasn’t tried to conceal the process, but embraces it, letting the lines dance and weave across the surface. Notice how the marks coalesce to form trees, water, and sky, yet retain their independence as individual gestures. The right-hand side of the image is dominated by a series of vertical strokes that suggest a looming treeline. The contrast between the dark, heavy strokes of the trees and the lighter, almost ethereal quality of the sky creates a sense of depth and atmosphere. Tholen reminds me of Whistler, or perhaps even some of the early Impressionists, in his willingness to embrace ambiguity and suggestion. It's like he's saying, "Here's what I saw, but what do you see?"