Schrijvende of tekenende mannen aan een tafel 1890 - 1931

Curator: Here we see "Schrijvende of tekenende mannen aan een tafel," which translates to "Writing or Drawing Men at a Table." This pencil drawing by Willem Bastiaan Tholen, dates from around 1890 to 1931 and is held in the Rijksmuseum collection. What are your initial impressions? Editor: My immediate sense is one of focused intensity, but also fragility, from the medium used, the vulnerability and ephemeral nature of the drawing gives off an air of solemnity in a temporary kind of way. The sketches are rendered economically; Tholen captures their postures of concentration with such simple strokes. Curator: Absolutely. There's a beautiful brevity here. One sees recurring artistic symbols of scribes over time; of quiet contemplation, studiousness, and a hint of the creative's burden. We remember these archetypes. It’s a reminder of humanity’s endless quest to capture and codify knowledge, so often a solemn process! Editor: Agreed, and Tholen uses the white space of the paper as skillfully as his pencil marks, a good composition creates balance within the pictorial space by giving these spaces visual significance to act in equilibrium with darker shaded portions. Curator: Precisely. Even these subtle elements point back to the quiet dedication and solitude involved in intellectual and creative pursuits. A symbolic meditation on thinking and doing over decades! Editor: Thinking of the stark contrast of blacks and grays really centers my understanding around a balance within artistic mediums, techniques and materials… the use of the tools in their most simple ways to translate the artist’s most valuable visions, for their most pressing purposes. Curator: For me, this sketch evokes a deep, ancestral echo, reflecting a timeless scene repeated through history. From ancient tablets to modern notebooks, there's always been someone hunched over a table, wrestling with ideas and words. Editor: Indeed, it causes me to recognize how much depth is attainable through such simplicity of presentation. Thank you for these insightful thoughts.