Kasuaris 1821 - 1891

This drawing of a Cassowary was made by Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen. The animal fills the page with a looming presence, rendered with dynamic lines in graphite on paper. The texture of the feathers is almost palpable, achieved through layered, rapid strokes that convey both volume and the coarse quality of the bird’s plumage. Observe how the composition is structured around a play of light and shadow, giving the bird a sculptural form. The artist uses line to explore the boundary between representation and abstraction. The Cassowary appears both real and as an assembly of lines and shapes, questioning the nature of visual perception. The drawing, in its formal elements, prompts us to consider how the interplay of texture and form affects our understanding, and our relationship to the natural world. The artist presents the Cassowary not as a mere subject, but as a semiotic structure in itself, inviting endless interpretation.