Tureluur 1892 - 1940

Henri Verstijnen made this tiny drawing of a Tureluur bird with ink on paper; it's a minimalist gesture of a natural form. I imagine the artist, maybe on location, quickly sketching, capturing only the essential elements: the bird's shape, its characteristic speckled plumage. What was Verstijnen thinking as he made this? Was he trying to precisely capture the likeness of the bird? Or was he trying to evoke something of its essence, its spirit? It's interesting how he crops the bird—the composition cuts off part of the tail, which reminds me of Hokusai's prints. I think Henri would have loved the work of contemporary illustrators like those in the Royal Art Lodge. There is something in common. He had a unique approach to representation, distilling it to its most elemental form, allowing the viewer to fill in the gaps. It reminds us that art is not just about what is seen, but what is felt and imagined.