Portretstudie van hond Jimmy 1908 - 1910

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande made this study of Jimmy the dog in Paris, probably with charcoal, sometime in October 1908. It's all about these marks, right? Each scribble adds to the overall impression. You can sense him building up the form of Jimmy, stroke by stroke. Look at the concentration around the eyes, the way the lines darken and thicken, and then fade out as they move towards the edges of the paper. This creates a real intensity. The guy's trying to capture the essence of this little terrier. I wonder if Storm van 's-Gravesande was a dog person? You can tell when an artist has an affinity for their subject. Maybe it was a commission, or perhaps a beloved pet. Either way, I appreciate how he has distilled the character of this dog with such simple, expressive means. It’s like he’s saying, "Here’s Jimmy."