Kalveren 1874

Editor: So, here we have Willem Cornelis Rip's "Kalveren," created in 1874. It's a pencil drawing on paper, a series of studies really, and I'm struck by how gentle and tentative they feel. It's almost as if he's trying to capture the essence of "calf-ness." What jumps out at you? Curator: Oh, I love that, "calf-ness"! You've hit upon something lovely. To me, it feels like Rip wasn’t just depicting calves; he was trying to understand them, almost inhabit their world. It reminds me of keeping a journal...a visual journal where the artist wants to capture the many fleeting moods of a moment in time. I am reminded, what does capturing moments on paper inspire? What can’t be captured that photography is able to easily provide? Editor: That's a good point about the journal aspect. I guess, photography being around and pretty accessible would mean drawing these requires an intent to really study. What were artists at the time exploring when depicting realistic objects versus idealized portraits, for example? Curator: That's precisely the question, isn't it? Photography democratized portraiture, pushed painters away from mere representation, and towards exploring what photography couldn't capture: subjective experience, emotional resonance, the very *act* of seeing and feeling. This study almost seems to dance around the calf form. And with the added freedom the portability of paper grants; it inspires visual experimentation to seek a closer personal understanding! Do you see the variation between how light and movement creates a shadow calf version in motion, vs a static calf standing in one place, to the detail that captures their essence. It suggests many places, many moods of one fleeting image. Editor: Definitely. Seeing it that way makes it much more evocative. So, it’s about using the physical action of drawing to try and express those feelings...It sounds as if drawing then becomes almost like... visual poetry of an experience. Curator: Precisely! We began understanding that through our observation and exploration together here and it has changed my views. Perhaps we can revisit how calves play into my favorite personal metaphor about learning.