Rappenantilope 1912

Wilhelm Kuhnert made this drawing of a sable antelope with graphite on paper. I love the immediacy of this piece! It is as though Kuhnert is thinking through drawing, letting his hand follow his observations, and allowing us to witness his process. Look at the animal’s flank, where the texture is built up of many tiny marks layered one on top of the other. The surface almost vibrates, contrasting with the lighter touch used to indicate the grasses around its legs. I wonder if the speed and economy of line in the antelope sketch on the right came before or after the more rendered standing figure. Either way, they are in conversation with each other. Kuhnert reminds me of other artists who draw animals, like Charles Le Brun or Leonardo da Vinci, whose works display a keen interest in anatomy and an ongoing enquiry into ways of capturing movement. For me, this piece has the quality of a study, but it also feels complete, a testament to the power of observation and the possibilities of art.