Hagedissen 1887 - 1924

Julie de Graag made 'Hagedissen' – that's 'Lizards' in Dutch, of course – with graphite on paper. The touch here is so light; it's almost like she’s coaxing these little guys onto the page. You can see the process, can’t you? The way she’s captured the texture of their skin with such delicate lines, it's mesmerizing. It's so subtle, the graphite barely kisses the surface, but somehow, we get the feeling of their coolness, their slight roughness. Look at the way she’s rendered their tiny claws and toes; it's so precise, but also so free. I love the one on the right, with all its little striations. It reminds me a bit of Dürer, who was also interested in depicting the natural world with almost scientific precision. De Graag’s interest feels very similar. It’s like she’s inviting us to really see these creatures, not just as lizards, but as individual beings, each with its own unique character. And that, to me, is what art is all about: learning to see the world anew.