Study of goats 1907

This sketch of goats was made by Hans Heysen with graphite on paper. Look at the image: it is a collection of studies. I can imagine him sitting out in a field, trying to quickly capture the essence of these animals. I wonder what it might have been like to create. Maybe he was thinking about their bleating sounds? Or the way they move, jump, and climb? I can imagine the quick, flickering movements of his hand as he tried to capture their forms. The lines are wiry and energetic, full of a nervous energy, and are reminiscent of Van Gogh. Each sketch is a little different, a new attempt to understand the animal in front of him. Painters are always in conversation with each other, across time and space. It is a way to understand the world through a specific lens. Artists are constantly inspiring one another’s creativity, building upon what has come before, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.