Drawing for the primer_ egg c. 1905

This drawing was made by Hans Thoma, and it captures a hen and an egg. It's rendered with these beautiful hatched lines, a kind of chiaroscuro that gives it weight. I can imagine Thoma making it, almost like a study, trying to figure something out about form, about the way light hits the simple curve of an egg or the feathery texture of a chicken. See how the strokes around the egg are gentler, more deliberate, emphasizing its smoothness, while those around the hen are more agitated, nervous? It’s like he’s trying to convey not just what these things look like, but how they feel, their essence. It reminds me of Morandi, in a way, his dedication to the quiet contemplation of everyday objects. There's something profound in that attention to detail, you know?