Studieblad met diverse zeilschepen en een visser 1870 - 1931

Curator: Before us is Willem Bastiaan Tholen’s drawing, “Studieblad met diverse zeilschepen en een visser” made sometime between 1870 and 1931. It's currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. What impressions does it evoke for you? Editor: A feeling of a quiet harbor. Not idyllic, necessarily, but serene in a working-class, almost melancholic way. The many boats give me a strong sense of place. Curator: I agree about the sense of place. The casual arrangement of sketches, various angles of these sailboats... it's almost as though Tholen is figuring out how to depict the essence of these crafts and their connection to the water. Editor: Boats as symbols often point to journeys, transition, even risk. I find the repeated image of the boats quite evocative – little reminders that perhaps these sailors are always on the edge, and that labor is part of human fate, maybe. Curator: Precisely, it becomes less about idealizing the seascape, and more about recognizing human endeavor within it. Notice also that there is no color.. the simplicity directs focus on shapes and lines, making us consider the weight and purpose of everything. Editor: And speaking of purpose, what do you make of the figure, the fisherman, at the base of the sketch? Is he repairing his nets or perhaps taking a break from work? Curator: That detail roots the image deeply. His bent posture speaks of weariness, of daily rhythms dictated by tides and tasks. The hat shields his eyes, hiding any emotion and reducing him to an archetype, but adding a sort of solemn dignity. Editor: He anchors all these fleeting sketches of sailboats, transforming it from a simple exercise into something much more profound and timeless. Like he is forever guarding over those boats. Curator: Exactly! I love how a simple collection of sketches coalesces into this meditation on labor, impermanence, and humanity's relationship with the sea. Editor: The piece definitely grew on me. At first glance, I was merely responding to mood, but the details... the boats, the laboring figure – they bring a wealth of layered symbolism. Curator: Yes, the quiet nature of this study, lets your subconscious find something of its own story there too.