Schapen 1881 - 1927

This is Johan Antonie de Jonge’s drawing of sheep, probably made with graphite on paper. Look at the soft marks, the way the shapes emerge and dissolve. I can feel the artist, Jonge, working quickly, trying to capture the essence of the animal with just a few lines. I can imagine him outside in a field, squinting at the sun, trying to catch the flock before it moves on. Maybe he's thinking about van Gogh, who famously painted laborers and fields, and maybe he’s thinking about how to imbue the animal with feeling. The texture is light, almost like a memory fading in and out of focus. Notice how the graphite sits on the surface, how some areas are more built up than others. I love how the simplicity of the medium allows for such direct and immediate expression. Each stroke feels intentional. This piece is part of an ongoing conversation about how we see and represent the world around us.