Liggende Leeuw 1931

Bernard Willem Wierink painted this 'Liggende Leeuw' or 'Reclining Lion' sometime in the late 19th century, we think. I love how Wierink’s brushstrokes are so visible here. You can almost feel the bristles dragging across the surface, especially in the lion’s mane. He doesn't try to hide the process. It’s like he's saying, "Hey, this is paint, and I’m moving it around." Look at the green railing, rendered like drips, almost as if the painting is melting before our eyes. It's gestural and kind of clumsy, but in a charming way. You can see echoes of Daumier in the way the paint is applied, that same kind of rough and ready energy. It's as if Wierink is inviting us to witness the act of creation, brushstroke by brushstroke.