Willem Bastiaan Tholen (Amsterdam 1860-1931 The Hague) was the son of a painter (and later) art dealer. He grew up in Kampen in an artistic environment and trained as a drawing teacher at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. He then studied rectilinear drawing at the Polytechnic School in Delft. He was taught by, among others, Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriel and Adolf le Comte. He first became a drawing teacher in Gouda and then in Kampen, among other places, but he did not really enjoy being a teacher. He preferred to paint himself and go out with Paul Gabriel.

Tholen is known for its water landscapes. He captures them in the vicinity of Kampen and Giethoorn, from land, but also from water. In Enkhuizen he had his Lemsteraak the 'Eudia' built, with which he made countless trips through the Dutch lake and river landscape. He is also known for forest, city and beach views in a loose painting style and a colorful, bright palette. He also makes many portraits of the children of Bram Arntzenius when he lives at the Ewijkshoeve and where artists from the Eighties came and went. Here he also meets his wife.

His works build on the work of the painters of the Hague School, but he gives it his own twist. His work is more colorful and diverse, but more subdued than the painters of the Amsterdam School.