Liggend varken, naar rechts 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard created this drawing, "Liggend varken, naar rechts," using pen in brown ink. Its form is deceptively simple, capturing a pig at rest with an almost brutal honesty. The artist's focus on line and shadow brings the animal's form to life. The body, rendered with dense, overlapping strokes, conveys weight and mass. Bernard masterfully uses cross-hatching to suggest depth and texture, particularly around the pig's head and front. The composition itself is sparse, with the pig dominating the frame. The blank space around it sharpens the focus, inviting us to consider the pig's physicality. The drawing may appear as a mere study of form, but it challenges us to think about representation. It disrupts traditional notions of beauty and idealization by presenting the animal in its raw, unglamorous state. The pig is not ennobled or allegorized, but depicted with a directness that is both confrontational and compelling. Its earthy presence anchors it within a broader discourse about nature, realism, and the purpose of art itself.