Zeichnung zur Fibel_ Eichhorn c. 1905

This drawing of a squirrel in amongst leaves and branches was made by Hans Thoma, sometime before 1924. The marks are so immediate, aren't they? It's like Thoma is thinking through the image, letting the pen find its own way through the thicket. Look at the way the background is built up with these tight, nervous lines, almost vibrating with energy. Then, the squirrel itself is left relatively untouched, a quiet space amidst all that chaos. It's like a little moment of calm in the middle of a storm. The tail especially; it's just this big, fluffy question mark. I think of other artists like Odilon Redon, who also found a certain kind of magic in the everyday. This piece reminds us that art doesn't always have to be loud or flashy. Sometimes, it's the quiet, unassuming works that speak the loudest.