Twee marmotten Possibly 1918

Jan Mankes made "Twee marmotten" with pencil sometime around 1915. It's on paper, which is kind of cool because you can see the letter on the back, almost like two drawings talking to each other. The first thing that hits me is the tenderness of the drawing, it's so understated. The marmots are not trying to be anything other than what they are, small animals trying to get by. Look how the animals have been sketched, they’re really simple, direct. It’s an unsentimental approach. I see a connection to outsider art here, it feels very raw. Mankes is very much his own person, but I am reminded of Forrest Bess in his mark making. They both embrace a kind of awkwardness, a refusal to be polished. It’s almost like they’re saying, "This is me, take it or leave it." I admire that.