Twee aangespannen paarden 1881 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this drawing, Twee aangespannen paarden, with charcoal and paper. It looks as though the artist was really thinking through his arm, the marks are loose and alive. The composition emerges through the pressure of the charcoal moving this way and that. The darkest part of the drawing is in the centre, and this becomes the most legible part of the image, as the marks fan out towards the edge of the page they get lighter, almost dissolving into the background. The texture of the charcoal feels rough against the smooth surface of the paper. It reminds me of some of Kathe Kollwitz's drawings. Like her, De Jonge seems to be using the charcoal to capture the weight and the weariness of the animals, and their physical presence. I think it is interesting to look at the wheel on the top left of the page, which emerges from the page like an idea.