Gezicht op Enkhuizen met de stadspoort de Drommedaris 1900 - 1931

Here's a drawing, Gezicht op Enkhuizen met de stadspoort de Drommedaris, by Willem Bastiaan Tholen. You can almost see Tholen standing there, sketchbook in hand, quickly capturing what’s in front of him. The lines are rough and ready. Not too precious. You can feel the artist using marks to feel his way around the subject. It’s all about trying to understand the scene, figuring it out through drawing. I love the contrast between the scratchy lines and the open space of the page. There's a sense of freedom in the way the artist has worked here. You can see them thinking and feeling their way through the scene. For me, drawing is about this kind of journey: an ongoing conversation, a constant exchange of ideas. It’s about embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings and meanings, which, when it comes down to it, is what art's all about.