Two Sketches of the Head of an Elephant c. 1786

Editor: Here we have Petrus Camper's "Two Sketches of the Head of an Elephant", created around 1786. It's a delicate pencil drawing on paper, and the lines are so light. What really grabs me is the artist's attention to the texture of the elephant’s skin, you can feel it, even with the simple medium. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating to observe how Camper has approached the study of form here. Note the strategic use of hatching to create areas of shadow, particularly around the elephant's eyes and trunk. Consider how this contributes to the overall volume. Is it successful? Editor: Yes, but one of the elephant heads is cropped, so I wonder what purpose that compositional decision served? Was it simply due to size constraints of the paper or might there have been a deeper meaning? Curator: We should always ask questions about what an artist chose to show or exclude from their artwork. However, here it reinforces the idea of the study, where observation takes priority over completeness. How do you read that in terms of aesthetic considerations? Editor: I suppose it gives it a raw, more immediate feel. It suggests Camper was more interested in capturing the essence of the elephant than creating a perfectly polished representation. Curator: Precisely. Now look closely at the line quality. What can we deduce about Camper's approach? Are the lines tentative or assertive? Editor: They seem quite confident, especially around the details of the eye, which is a small, yet sharply defined feature. Curator: A keen observation! This shows us that Camper understood the significance of the eye as a focal point. By varying the line weight, the artist directs our gaze, establishing a clear hierarchy within the composition. Editor: This discussion helped me appreciate how even a seemingly simple sketch can reveal so much about an artist’s understanding of form, composition and even perception. Curator: Indeed. Analyzing those elements gives us direct access to understanding artistic choices, and appreciating visual depth.