Uil 1887 - 1924

Julie de Graag made this drawing of an owl with pencil, maybe even charcoal—it’s hard to tell from here, but you can see it up close. I can imagine the artist standing in front of a blank page, ready to draw an owl that she perhaps saw in life. It's got a cartoonish feel, but it is also sophisticated. It's as if de Graag wants to capture the animal’s essence through the most succinct route. You can see the minimal yet potent lines that form its body. The stark black eyes contrast with the soft grey shading, creating a sense of depth. There's an interesting contrast between the sharp lines of the owl and the tentative botanical drawing that lurks in the background, implying the surrounding world, and how the animal relates to it. It's like a half-remembered dream. It makes me think about other artists who found inspiration in the natural world, from Van Gogh to Hilma af Klint. What do you think?