Kop van een ezel, naar rechts 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard made this drawing of a donkey’s head, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, using pen and brush in gray ink, on paper. Look closely, and you'll see the incredible detail achieved through delicate lines and shading. The artist has skillfully rendered the donkey's features, capturing its gentle expression and the texture of its fur. Bernard used traditional materials, but focused on a subject that would have been considered low, even comical. This was a time of great social upheaval, when artists increasingly turned their attention to everyday life and the animal kingdom, rather than grand historical or mythological scenes. In fact, the donkey itself has great symbolic importance. It is a beast of burden, doing difficult labor, and often treated with cruelty. In this sensitive portrait, we might ask whether Bernard was subtly commenting on the social order.