Antieke tafelvoet in de vorm van een leeuwenkop en -poot c. 1890 - 1922

This drawing of a lion's head and paw table leg was made by Johanna van de Kamer sometime between 1873 and 1922. It's just pencil on paper, but the drawing feels sculptural to me. You can see van de Kamer working through how to capture the weight and texture of this object. Look closely and you can see how the lines are built up in layers, especially around the lion's mane. It's kind of like she's carving away at the paper to reveal the form. Then there's the shading which gives a sense of volume to the solid foot of the table. I notice how she uses hatching to create tone, building it up darker in some areas to give it more weight and depth. Thinking about the way she uses these graphic lines to imply the physical mass, it almost reminds me of some of the drawings of Rodin. There’s a similar sense of movement and energy, even in this still object. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, and that even a simple sketch can hold a wealth of ideas and interpretations.