Vier ezels 1655 - 1688

Editor: Here we have "Vier ezels" – that's "Four Donkeys" in English – a pen drawing by Govert van der Leeuw, probably created sometime between 1655 and 1688. It feels like a quick, almost playful sketch. They’re all huddled together, but I wonder, what do you see in this piece beyond just… well, donkeys? Curator: Ah, yes! These aren't just any donkeys, are they? I’m drawn to the curious detail up on the top left, this strange shape that seems to mimic or shadow one of the donkeys and also the slight undulation on the surface, a gentle sense of the mundane transforming into something subtly…mythical, do you see it? Editor: I do, now that you mention it! Like a weird ribbon in the sky or a shadow of their future perhaps? Curator: Precisely! Or perhaps their past, donkeys being symbols of burden, and work... or even stubbornness, a quality us artists sometimes possess more than others. Van der Leeuw plays with our perception here. Are these noble steeds trapped within lowly forms? What narratives do their seemingly banal forms hold? What about you; which donkey speaks to you the most? Editor: Probably the one in the middle with all the spots. He looks like he's seen things. Curator: And isn't that the beauty of art? That a simple sketch of four donkeys can spark an entire dialogue of possibilities and wonder within our mind. Editor: It definitely makes you look a bit closer, doesn't it? Thanks for pointing out some new ways to consider their stories.