A sunny day on the Willemstraat, Scheveningen

In 1890 the young Tholen and his wife moved to the house 'Kanaalvilla' situated on the channel by the 'Witte Brug' between The Hague and Scheveningen. This house, which Tholen shared with the family of Paul Arntzenius, had a beautiful large garden. Around this time the artist executed a number of paintings depicting town views of which the present lot is an interesting example. Similarities to the work of the Amsterdam Impressionists are visible in style and execution. The rapid treatment of brightly coloured paint produces an impressionistic result. The busy Willemstaat in the picturesque seaside village of Scheveningen is partly shaded from the sun by old trees that create a beautiful dappled effect where the sunlight hits the buildings and the street. A focal point is inserted by fully bathing a facade at the end of the street in light. It has been suggested that the figure wearing a hat in the left foreground portrays the artist himself.

The bright palette used for this picture is rather rare within Tholen's oeuvre as a whole. The marked contrast between the blues in the sky and the greens used for the leaves seems to bear witness to a heightened expressive sense. Anneke de Jong, referring to the present lot, states: 'Zelden heeft Tholen een dergelijk kleurig pallet gebruikt, maar dat hij ook dit meesterlijk beheerste bewijst hij.' (A. de Jong, op cit, 1993, p. 67)