Slak 1887 - 1924

Julie de Graag made this tiny drawing of a snail, called 'Slak', with a graphite pencil on paper. I can imagine de Graag bending over her subject matter, watching the snail inch along, and quickly trying to capture its essence with a few, well-placed lines. What was she thinking, watching this little creature? I love how the shell is depicted as a simple, spiraling form, and the soft, vulnerable body emerges from underneath. The marks are tentative, almost hesitant, as if the artist is unsure, feeling her way through the form. This reminds me that all art is, on some level, an observation of nature. When I zoom in, I can see the texture of the paper and how the graphite catches the light. I see the work of other artists here - the early, close-up nature drawings by Van Gogh, perhaps? All artists learn from each other, don't they? It’s an ongoing conversation. There's a real tenderness and vulnerability in this small sketch, and it invites me to look more closely at the world around me.