Schapen op stal te Exloo c. 1904 - 1912

Ferdinand Oldewelt made this ink drawing of sheep in a stable in Exloo with rapid marks and lines. It feels like he wanted to capture the essence of the scene, rather than a realistic depiction. The overall effect is a sense of movement and activity. You can almost feel the energy of the animals milling about. The linear marks are thin, transparent, and layered, like a spider's web of marks. It makes me think of Rembrandt's drawings, but in a much more rough and ready kind of way. I keep coming back to that central cluster of lines indicating the sheep. It's like a little abstract painting in itself! I appreciate how Oldewelt embraces ambiguity. It's like he's saying, "Here's a suggestion of sheep, let your imagination fill in the rest." And that's what art is all about, right?