Tureluur 1892 - 1940

Henri Verstijnen made this small drawing of a ‘Tureluur’ – that’s a Redshank in English, a type of wading bird – with pen and ink. It’s all about mark-making, isn’t it? The way the ink sits on the page, the variation in the line. Look how Verstijnen uses these tiny dots to create the soft, speckled effect on the bird’s underbelly, different to the heavier marks he makes on the wing. This contrast really brings the image to life. It gives you a sense of the bird’s texture, of feathers and lightness. The grass is just a few quick strokes, but they give enough information to let you know where this bird belongs. This reminds me a little of Audubon’s bird drawings, but looser, more immediate. It feels like Verstijnen wasn't trying to be perfect or definitive, but just capture a fleeting impression. Maybe art’s about openness more than correctness.