Lion Lying Down 1915

Edvard Munch made this drawing, Lion Lying Down, with dark charcoal lines on a pale ground. I see it as an act of translation. You know, when you spend time with an animal, a person, a landscape, and try to transpose that experience? Here, Munch is trying to capture the lion's essence. The quick, gestural marks, they’re not just describing what’s there, they are about feeling the weight of the beast, the texture of its fur, the quiet power it holds even at rest. I imagine Munch, charcoal in hand, circling, observing, trying to find the right strokes to convey this creature’s majesty. The marks are smudgy and raw, and evoke a sense of immediacy, like he’s trying to capture the lion’s soul before it vanishes. Painters are always in conversation with each other, across time and space. Munch, through this drawing, reminds us that painting isn't about perfection, it is about embracing the beauty of imperfection.