Studie af et æsel og to studier af dets ører 1845

Curator: Welcome. Here we have Johan Thomas Lundbye's "Study of a Donkey and Two Studies of its Ears," created in 1845. It’s a drawing held at the SMK. Editor: It feels immediate. The lean lines capturing this animal have such a distinct texture. Curator: Indeed. Observe the delicate hatching technique that models the donkey's form, offering volume through carefully modulated shades. Editor: And I appreciate the directness in its execution. Notice how the graphite adheres to the paper’s grain, becoming almost topographical in suggesting the rough, homespun context from which the donkey originates? It avoids any romantic idealization. Curator: Yes. Lundbye has captured the essence of the subject in the most efficient way possible. Note, too, how the composition adheres to classic study layout; an overall animal study plus concentrated investigations of isolated body parts—in this instance, those lovely ears. Editor: It speaks to the labour inherent in observation. This wasn’t dash-off work. Lundbye engaged materially with the subject— the patient, repetitive act of seeing, and the labour it demands of the artist. What paper and pencil did he choose, how many attempts to capture the spirit of the creature were cast aside, do you suppose? Curator: Your reading touches on its truthfulness, of course. Yet beyond a realistic likeness, I suggest it speaks of the deeper structure underlying natural form. Editor: It avoids the merely picturesque, that's true. But I think the beauty stems more from the visible labor inherent in its making. Curator: A truly wonderful piece on view that prompts us to contemplate not only animal form but also different interpretations. Editor: It's refreshing to view this artwork— reminding us that even in preliminary works, much can be appreciated and celebrated about material engagements and the context that surrounds its production.