Two Studies of an Ocelot 1922

This drawing of two ocelots was made by Herman Palmer, probably in a zoo or wildlife park, judging by the date, October 1922. You can almost feel Palmer there, sketching in real time, trying to capture the presence of the animal. The drawing has a wonderful casualness, with soft washes of color bringing the animal to life. It's like Palmer is thinking through the brush, feeling the form as he goes, like he’s trying to get to know the animal through drawing. You see it in the delicate lines he uses, almost tentative, as if he's whispering the ocelot into existence. There’s a lightness and openness to the work, too, that reminds me of the great naturalists like Audubon. It captures the elegance of the ocelot so well, like a jazz riff on feline form. It's an ongoing conversation, this study of nature.