Studieblad met herten 1821 - 1891

Curator: This study sheet presenting several depictions of deer was produced by Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen, sometime between 1821 and 1891. Editor: It’s…delightful! Honestly, it gives me the impression of stumbling upon a particularly charming page from a naturalist’s journal, a little window into their world. It’s got such a breezy, whimsical quality to it. Curator: Van der Brugghen captures something about movement in these animals, especially considering that these sketches were made using just pencil and paper. Notice how he explores the deer from different angles and orientations, including even some that are less conventional. Editor: You know, I find something so tender about how he renders them. There's this sort of playful innocence captured in the scratchy lines that seems to give real life to the subject. It doesn’t feel staged. I almost get the sense that he was actually in the field. Curator: That "in the field" experience is quite telling when it comes to analyzing nature studies like this. Often in 19th-century art, portrayals of animals reflected social and philosophical views about the natural world, where an increased focus on naturalism coincided with expanding colonial interests and scientific exploration. The animal body became something to examine, document, and ultimately, possess knowledge of. Editor: Huh. Well, all I know is that I wouldn’t mind having this hanging up on my wall! I like the way it invites me to simply pause and smile, and I think there's something wonderful about an artwork that encourages you to do that. It’s almost…meditative? Curator: Perhaps the sheet could be examined under a feminist lens. The intimate attention to these creatures might reflect a deep interconnectedness between humans and non-human animals, disrupting traditional hierarchies of power and offering nuanced approaches to multispecies relationships and interdependency. Editor: Whatever deeper meaning may exist, to me, these deer frolicking across the page feels like an affirmation of pure, unadulterated joy. If art can do that, then, mission accomplished.