Zittende man bij een ezel 1750 - 1809

David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin created this drawing of a man seated by a donkey using graphite. The composition is simple, with the figures placed side by side, dominating the pictorial space. The sparse line work and the lack of shading contribute to a sense of flatness. There is a strong structural contrast in the rendering of the two figures. The donkey is depicted with more attention to detail and volume, suggesting a certain weightiness. The seated man, on the other hand, is rendered with lighter, more tentative strokes, almost blending into the background. This contrast invites us to consider the relationship between the figures, not merely as a pastoral scene but perhaps as a comment on labor and leisure. The donkey, burdened with a load, stands in contrast to the resting man. This contrast highlights the tension between the natural and the human.