Kop van een orang-oetang Possibly 1874 - 1915

August Le Gras sketched this Orangutan head with graphite on paper. At first glance, the composition appears straightforward. The artist centres the orangutan’s face, filling the frame in a symmetrical layout that emphasizes the animal’s direct gaze and its complex texture and wrinkled features. Le Gras's emphasis on naturalistic detail invites us to consider broader questions about representation. His style captures the orangutan's physical form but also hints at emotional and cognitive depth. Using light and shadow to model the animal's features, Le Gras’s drawing is a visual signifier, prompting viewers to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and the complex boundaries between human and animal. Notice the subtle but expressive details in the orangutan's eyes and mouth. These features function within a visual semiotic system which invites ongoing interpretations about our place in the environment.