A minimalist graphite sketch by Dutch artist Willem Bastiaan Tholen, capturing two fishing boats on the open sea with expressive, economical lines.

This graphite sketch by Willem Bastiaan Tholen captures two fishing vessels adrift on open water. Tholen, a member of the later generation of the Hague School, frequently turned his attention to the Dutch coastline and the working boats that populated the North Sea. His approach to drawing prioritises economy of line and the suggestion of atmosphere over rigid detail.

The composition is sparse, focusing on the silhouette of the primary boat in the foreground, with its mast and rigging rendered in quick, confident strokes. The secondary vessel sits further back, providing a sense of scale and distance. Tholen uses varying pressure to differentiate the weight of the hulls from the lighter, more ethereal marks representing the water and the sky. The horizon line is barely defined, allowing the viewer to perceive the vastness of the sea through the subtle shading of the paper surface.

As a draughtsman, Tholen possessed an ability to record the immediate character of a scene. This work functions as a direct observation, likely produced during one of his many excursions along the Dutch coast. The lack of heavy finish suggests it was a preparatory study or a personal record of a fleeting moment. The paper retains the raw quality of the artist's hand, offering an intimate look at his process. By stripping away colour and complex detail, Tholen directs the eye to the essential forms of the boats and the quiet movement of the tide. This print preserves the texture of the original graphite marks, maintaining the authentic feel of a sketchbook page from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.