Two donkeys 

Johann Nepomuk Rauch rendered "Two Donkeys" in watercolor on paper, and it’s now here at the Städel Museum. The dominant visual experience of this work is the study of animal form through the fluid application of watercolor. The shapes are soft and rounded, especially in the donkey that is fully realised. The animal stands in shades of brown and white, in contrast to the faint presence of another donkey sketched in light pencil lines. Rauch's use of watercolor captures the subtle variations in tone and texture, and invites a contemplation on the nature of representation itself. The work engages with semiotics in that the donkeys are not merely depicted but act as signs, each brushstroke a carefully chosen mark that constructs meaning. The tension between the finished and unfinished elements reflects a larger discourse about artistic intention and the creative process. Note the presence of a signature—an assertion of authorship. It functions not only as an aesthetic element but also to enhance the discourse between the artist, the work, and the viewer.