Timmerman bezig met het maken van een geraamte voor een schuur 1870 - 1931

Curator: This drawing, simply titled "Timmerman bezig met het maken van een geraamte voor een schuur," which translates to "Carpenter busy making a frame for a shed", comes to us from the hand of Willem Bastiaan Tholen. The piece, executed in pencil, likely dates between 1870 and 1931, and resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My immediate impression is one of quick capture, a sort of shorthand. The lines are sparse, but somehow manage to convey a remarkable amount of spatial information and tactile qualities. The shading around the carpenter lends him considerable depth. Curator: It is an evocative image precisely because of that raw, spontaneous feel. These types of sketches were of high value in the 19th and early 20th century—particularly drawings that captured the labor and life of working-class individuals. Artists would create such sketches and show these to the academy. Later, the elite were very keen to buy them for their artistic merit. These were more valuable if the drawing itself felt authentic and not too polished, capturing a real scene without idealization. Editor: I’m struck by how the artist uses the varying weights of the pencil lines. Notice how the lines forming the structure are dark and bold, giving a solid feeling, compared to the fleeting marks that define the wood shavings. It really focuses our attention on the man’s craft. Curator: Right. The drawing exists as a document, of sorts, testifying to the changing social and economic landscape of the Netherlands at the time. Industrialization was changing how people lived and worked, and it became of great concern to preserve such skills and depictions through these means. The sketch also allows access to everyday people often not deemed worthy of high art portraiture. Editor: It’s the dynamism inherent in the sketch that appeals most to me. The almost haphazard placement of lines contributes to a lively composition; this is very engaging as an independent work. It's not trying to make a grand statement; rather, it succeeds in representing an intimate moment in time through composition. Curator: A moment, indeed, and a glimpse into the evolving value systems placed on art representing everyday life. Tholen managed to capture that through these spontaneous impressions. Editor: The careful balance between definition and suggestive lines creates a lasting sense of narrative with simplicity.