Et æsel, plaget af fluer og et æselhoved set forfra 1834

This drawing of a fly-pestered donkey was made with pen and brown ink by Johan Thomas Lundbye. The lines are fine, quick, and plentiful, creating a sense of volume and texture in the animal's coat. It’s interesting to consider how Lundbye has used such a simple medium to convey a scene that speaks to labor and class. Donkeys are working animals. Their very purpose is to carry burdens and toil under often difficult conditions. The flies are a detail that heightens this reality, adding to the donkey's discomfort and emphasizing its position at the lower end of the social ladder. The drawing’s scale and choice of materials – humble pen and ink – contrast with the grand oil paintings of the period, often focused on heroic or idealised subjects. Lundbye here elevates the everyday, the commonplace. He challenges traditional hierarchies of subject matter, drawing our attention to the lives of ordinary creatures, inviting us to consider their own silent struggles.