Schip in een sloot c. 1905 - 1920

Willem Bastiaan Tholen’s etching, "Ship in a Ditch," is rendered in delicate lines, a symphony of light and shadow. I can imagine Tholen, hunched over his plate, coaxing these subtle tones from the metal, each stroke deliberate, yet yielding to the unpredictable nature of the medium. There's a quiet intimacy to this scene, isn't there? It makes me think of other artists such as Whistler and Degas. Those guys were also so great at capturing fleeting moments. I can almost feel the stillness of the water, the boat gently resting. The etching feels like a glimpse into a private moment. The composition is interesting: look at the way the boat nestles into the landscape, as if sinking back into itself. There's a sense of decay here, but also of a kind of serene acceptance. I think about my own practice a lot of the time, about how the best art emerges from unexpected places. I think of how the conversations across time between artists always provides inspiration.