Grachtje in Elburg 1870 - 1931

Willem Bastiaan Tholen made this pencil drawing, titled 'Grachtje in Elburg', in the Netherlands. Here we see a scene in Elburg with a canal lined by trees and figures. The loose sketch-like style may imply a certain honesty in the way Tholen approaches the subject. He appears to show the scene as it really is, without idealizing. This aesthetic chimes with the broader cultural movement of the late 19th century. Artists increasingly turned their attention to the lives of ordinary people. It may also reflect changing attitudes to the role of art institutions. Many artists questioned the established academic system. They wanted to challenge its conservative norms, and depict everyday life. To understand such a drawing fully, we can consult letters, exhibition reviews, and other archival material, finding out how art was embedded in its historical moment. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.