Two Lions (Zwei Löwen) 1900 - 1945

Paul Gangolf made this drawing of two lions using ink on paper; when, exactly, we don’t know. There’s something so direct about the mark-making here. Gangolf seems to have gone straight for the jugular, capturing the essence of these magnificent beasts with an economy of line. Look at the way he describes their bodies, using only a few strokes to suggest mass and volume. The lines are not precious, but quick and confident, revealing the physicality of the drawing process. My eyes are drawn to the mane of the lion at the front. It’s rendered with short, choppy lines that convey a sense of wildness and untamed energy. There’s a tension between the representational aspect of the drawing and the abstract quality of the marks themselves. It reminds me of Picasso’s animal sketches, where he reduced forms to their bare essentials. It’s like Gangolf is saying, “Here is a lion, but also here is the act of drawing itself.” Ultimately, it’s this ambiguity that makes the piece so compelling.