Achterkant van oude huizen, te Enkhuizen

Willem Bastiaan Tholen created this drawing of the back of old houses in Enkhuizen with pen in the late 19th or early 20th century. The composition presents a cluster of buildings viewed from a low vantage point. The artist’s consistent application of hatching across various surfaces creates a uniform texture, inviting a semiotic interpretation. We see a network of lines and strokes which function almost like linguistic signs: the density and orientation of these marks shape the visual texture and imply form, shadow, and depth. The drawing achieves a sense of balance through the calculated arrangement of light and dark areas. Tholen's choice to depict the rear of buildings challenges traditional notions of beauty, inviting viewers to consider the aesthetic qualities of everyday, overlooked spaces. The structural elements of the scene are simplified, reducing buildings to their essential forms and questioning our preconceptions about the picturesque.