Geit aan de slootkant 1913 - 1915

Jan Mankes created this delicate line drawing, ‘Goat by the Ditch’, with pen and ink on paper. The drawing presents a framed view of a goat standing serenely in a landscape. The muted tones and delicate lines evoke a quiet, almost dreamlike quality. Mankes’ approach to form is intriguing here; the lines, while precise, have a softness that blurs the distinction between representation and abstraction. The goat is rendered with a tender realism, yet the surrounding landscape is more stylized, almost symbolic. This interplay raises questions about the nature of representation. Is Mankes inviting us to consider the goat not just as an animal, but as a sign, a symbol within a larger structure of meaning? The drawing’s formal qualities work to destabilize any fixed interpretation. The composition invites us to meditate on the goat's presence, encouraging a dialogue between seeing and knowing, representation and reality.