Schetsen van eenden 1872 - 1931

Willem de Zwart made this study of ducks with graphite on paper, and I can imagine him outside, hunkered down in the reeds, observing them closely. The ducks almost seem to emerge from the very paper itself, don't they? I think that De Zwart lets his pencil move freely, capturing the essence of the ducks with a few deftly placed strokes. It's like he's trying to understand their weight and form. Some of them are just suggestions, while others are more fully formed. I wonder if he was deciding how much detail to include? What to leave out? This reminds me of how Constable would make lots of sketches outside of clouds. He'd write notes on them, trying to figure out what they were made of. I feel like De Zwart is doing the same thing here, trying to get to know ducks a bit better. All these painters, connected by their curiosity!