Zwei Rinder, das linke fressend 

Friedrich Wilhelm Hirt created this drawing, "Zwei Rinder, das linke fressend", with pen and brown ink over pencil, establishing a composition that balances observation with the intrinsic qualities of the medium itself. The sepia ink outlines two cows, one grazing and the other standing alert, in a semiotic relationship that suggests both pastoral imagery and a study in animal form. The artist's choice of a monochromatic palette focuses attention on the modulation of lines and the tonal variations achieved through hatching and wash techniques. This reinforces a concern for texture and volume over pure representation. The blank background is as crucial as the depicted figures, emphasizing the structural elements of form and contour. The artwork destabilizes the traditional figure-ground relationship. Hirt invites us to consider not just the subject but also the act of depiction itself. Through careful strokes and compositional balance, he highlights the dynamic between artistic creation and the natural world.