Dead deer 

Karl Haider made this sketch of a Dead Deer with graphite on paper sometime in the 19th century. The drawing’s material simplicity highlights the skill involved in capturing the deer’s form, with the varying pressure of the graphite creating shadow and depth. Haider carefully studied the animal, building up the image with layers of hatching and cross-hatching. The visible pencil strokes and the texture of the paper create a sense of immediacy, as if we're watching the artist at work. The dead deer, lying still, becomes a subject of quiet contemplation. The very act of drawing elevates the deer, a creature of nature, to the realm of art. Consider the labor involved in creating this artwork, the time spent observing and translating the three-dimensional form onto a two-dimensional surface. This attention to the natural world and the artistry involved reminds us of the value of careful observation and skilled handcraft.