Kaketoe c. 1883 - 1914

Editor: This is “Kaketoe” by Floris Arntzenius, likely created sometime between 1883 and 1914. It's a coloured-pencil drawing, a seemingly quick study, in an open sketchbook. I’m immediately struck by how delicately the bird is rendered, almost as if it might fly right off the page. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, I love this! There’s a charming vulnerability about it, isn't there? The cockatoo is upside down which lends a slightly humorous, precarious air. Arntzenius has captured its essence with such immediacy; the vibrant yellow crest, those knowing little eyes... I get a real sense of the artist's connection with this bird, don't you? As if he saw it just like that and had to quickly immortalize the moment! Tell me, what feelings does its precarious upside-down stance conjure in you? Editor: Well, initially a little worry, but now that you mention the humorous side, I guess it also feels playful and light. It’s also interesting how the Impressionistic style lends to this idea that we're seeing a quick snapshot, rather than an intentional portrait. Curator: Exactly! It's like catching a fleeting thought on paper. This sketch encapsulates the spirit of Impressionism – capturing the ephemeral. Makes you wonder, doesn't it, about all the other fleeting moments Arntzenius might have immortalized in his sketchbooks? He offers an openness to those fleeting, slightly comical bits. The upside-down positioning seems almost like a gentle nudge to appreciate the lighter side of things. Editor: It really changes how you look at a seemingly simple sketch, doesn't it? I'll definitely think differently about unfinished works from now on! Curator: Absolutely! Art often resides in these 'in-between' moments, in the artist's exploration and, if we allow ourselves, in our discovery. It's all a journey together.