Grazend hert in een weiland c. 1904 - 1906

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof made this drawing of a grazing deer in a meadow with coloured chalk on paper. Isn't it amazing how such a simple medium can be so expressive? The texture of the chalk gives the drawing a soft, almost dreamlike quality. The brown chalk used for the deer contrasts with the sparse use of blue for the grass and distant building, creating a serene atmosphere. The lines are delicate, almost tentative, as if Dijsselhof is feeling his way through the image. Look at the deer's legs, how they're rendered with such minimal detail, yet they convey a sense of movement and grace. It reminds me of some of the early modernist sketches, where artists were more concerned with capturing the essence of a form than with photographic realism. Maybe someone like Franz Marc, who also loved animals, would appreciate the gentle simplicity of this drawing. Anyway, it’s a reminder that art is as much about feeling as it is about seeing.