Staande geit before 1914

Jan Mankes made this drawing of a goat with pencil on paper. Look closely and you can see how he built up the image through a process of layering light and dark marks. There’s a delicate balance between the goat and the space around it. The soft texture of the pencil creates a hazy, almost dreamlike quality. The goat has a tangible, almost sculptural presence, while the background dissolves into a subtle gradient of tone. Notice the way Mankes captures the animal's anatomy with such careful observation. The goat is not just a goat. It's a study in form and light. Mankes was clearly interested in the quiet observation of everyday subjects. There’s a stillness in this image that reminds me of the work of Giorgio Morandi. Both artists seemed to find endless possibilities within a limited range of subjects.