Eekhoorn in een boom en een kangoeroe c. 1904 - 1906

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof made this little drawing of a kangaroo and a squirrel with pen on paper. Look at the economy of line, how he captures these creatures with the bare minimum! I love how the kangaroo seems to emerge almost magically from the page, its form a dance of curved lines suggesting movement and lightness. And the squirrel, nestled amongst the branches, feels so alive with its twitching nose and bushy tail! I imagine Dijsselhof sketching these animals quickly, trying to capture their essence with each stroke. The drawing feels immediate, as if we’re looking over the artist's shoulder as he works. Dijsselhof was part of the Dutch Symbolist movement, and you can see it even in this simple sketch. The kangaroo and squirrel aren't just animals; they're symbols, maybe of nature, or of something more mysterious and elusive. Artists are constantly in dialogue with each other. We look, we borrow, and we transform. That's how art evolves! This drawing invites us to pause and consider the possibilities of the imagination.