Abklatsch van een krijttekening 1890 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen made this chalk drawing, Abklatsch van een krijttekening, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The image teases us with its fugitive quality. It's like a memory trying to surface. Looking closely, you can see the delicate chalk marks, almost like a soft rain against the page. The texture isn't bold; instead, it’s subtle, as if the artist wanted to capture a fleeting moment rather than make a grand statement. Notice the way the chalk is denser on the right, fading out like mist. This reminds me of Gerhard Richter's blurred photos, which also capture a certain in-between state. Tholen’s work, like Richter's, reminds us that art doesn't always need to shout. Sometimes, the quietest gestures speak the loudest. It shows art is an ongoing conversation between artists, across time, and through different media.