Egyptische reliëfsculptuur: twee kraanvogels 1844 - 1896

Willem de Famars Testas made this drawing of two cranes, sometime in the 19th century, with ink on paper. As we can see from this drawing, Testas was interested in how the ancient Egyptians rendered images of the natural world. He wasn’t just trying to make a faithful record, but rather was trying to absorb a different way of seeing, and of translating three dimensions into two. The drawing is a copy of a low relief, which would have been made by carefully cutting away material – stone, in the case of the original – to create a subtle sculptural effect. Testas has chosen to work with pen and ink, a much quicker and more immediate medium, and this gives the cranes a delicate, almost calligraphic quality. The drawing becomes a kind of meditation on the slow, careful work of the ancient Egyptian artist, and its translation into a modern idiom. Hopefully, this approach opens up your understanding and appreciation of art and craft, bridging perceived gaps between them.