Two Tame Deer c. 17th century

Editor: Here we have Claude Lorrain’s "Two Tame Deer," a delicate drawing. It feels so intimate, like a captured moment of quiet observation. What do you make of its simple elegance? Curator: It's a whisper of nature, isn't it? Lorrain, more known for landscapes, surprises us with this tender study. The deer, so still, almost melancholic. Do you feel that vulnerability? Editor: Absolutely, their stillness is almost sad. Is it typical for Lorrain to focus on animals like this? Curator: Not in his grand landscapes, no. This is Lorrain in his sketchbook, a private moment. Imagine him, charcoal in hand, captivated by these gentle creatures. What do you think he was trying to capture? Editor: Maybe just the quiet beauty of the everyday? Curator: Perhaps. Or a deeper connection, a fleeting glimpse into the soul of another being. It reminds us to look closer, to see the beauty in the ordinary.