Dagger and Sheath 1935 - 1942

Cornelius Christoffels made this watercolour, Dagger and Sheath, sometime between 1879 and 1960. Look at the almost scientific approach to rendering form. It’s a kind of quiet intensity, isn’t it? I keep wondering, was Christoffels a patient person? Each mark, each line, seems meticulously placed. The way the light catches on the metallic parts of the dagger and sheath is quite something; it's almost like you can feel the coolness of the metal. The handle is rendered with this tight hatching, so it feels tactile, like you could grip it. I find myself drawn to the tassel on the sheath. It’s so finely rendered, almost like individual hairs, and it softens the overall effect of the piece, which could otherwise feel quite cold. It reminds me a little of some of the botanical studies of the early twentieth century, like Karl Blossfeldt’s close-ups of plant forms. But of course, where Blossfeldt was interested in the beauty of nature, Christoffels is exploring something altogether more dangerous. Both artists remind us that art is an ongoing conversation.