Et æsel 1810 - 1873

This is an ink drawing called "Et æsel," or "A Donkey," by Wilhelm Marstrand. The drawing captures a donkey in profile, standing on what seems to be arid ground. What immediately strikes the eye is the artist’s use of line to convey form and texture. Notice how Marstrand employs hatching and cross-hatching to sculpt the donkey’s body, creating a sense of volume and depth. The lines are not merely descriptive; they contribute to the overall expressiveness of the piece. Consider the structuralist approach to art, where meaning is derived from the relationships between different elements. Here, the contrast between the detailed rendering of the animal and the sparse background emphasizes the donkey’s isolation and perhaps its role as a beast of burden. The donkey is meticulously brought to life through Marstrand’s intricate linework, transforming the animal into a subject of noteworthy artistic exploration.