Teckelstudien 1909

Max Liebermann made this study of dachshunds with graphite on paper; it's a flurry of activity and observation. I can imagine him, sketchbook in hand, rapidly capturing these little guys in their various states of repose and play. There’s such a sense of immediacy here, like he’s trying to catch the fleeting essence of each pose. The lines are quick and gestural, some dark and assertive, others light and tentative, searching for the form. I imagine him focusing on the weight of the body and the shapes they create with their paws. It's like he's thinking aloud with his pencil, letting the dogs lead the way. These aren't just studies of dogs. They are also studies in seeing, studies in how to capture life and movement on a page. And that is, I think, at the heart of what makes Liebermann's work so enduring: his ability to find the extraordinary in the everyday and his commitment to the ongoing conversation that is artmaking.