Konijn 1908

Léon Spilliaert made this drawing of a rabbit, using something like graphite or charcoal, and a real love for the animal. It is a very sympathetic portrait. The thing that always strikes me about drawing is that it is an immediate process. There’s no real room for error, no layering, and it makes you think about time. Spilliaert’s rabbit feels like it emerged quickly, with lots of soft, smudged strokes, giving the impression of fur, with darker tones for definition. Notice how he’s added lighter, almost white patches for the rabbit’s belly and flank. You get a real sense of the animal’s softness, and of its warmth. I’m reminded a little of Dürer’s hare, a more scientific, detailed study, but I find Spilliaert’s rabbit more emotive. Like a friend, or a cherished pet. Art is just that, a conversation. It is not about fixed meanings, but about the play of ideas.