Mannen, waaronder twee zittend aan en leunend op een tafel 1890 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen made this sketch of men in a variety of poses with pencil on paper. I love how Tholen uses line here, not to define so much as to suggest. The table in the middle of the composition is almost all suggestive, the lines barely there, scribbled in. It reminds me that drawing is not just about what you see but also about the movement of your hand. Look at the figure at the bottom, reclining. The simplicity of the line captures the essence of relaxation. It’s a quick notation, not labored over, but it tells us so much. Tholen’s work echoes artists like Daumier, who also found beauty in the everyday, capturing fleeting moments with incredible sensitivity. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about seeing and feeling.