Jupiter and Ganymede 1645 - 1698

This drawing of Jupiter and Ganymede was made by Johan Carl Loth in the 17th century, using pen and brown ink, heightened with white, on gray prepared paper. The choice of materials here is quite telling. Loth wasn’t working with oil paint on canvas, a medium associated with the highest aspirations of art. Instead, he chose the humbler tools of pen, ink, and paper. This allowed for a fluid, sketch-like quality, emphasizing the process of creation. The gray paper acts as a middle ground, from which the figures emerge through dark lines and white highlights. The drawing is not about labor in the strict sense, but it does celebrate the handmade. You can see every stroke of the pen, every touch of white. This directness connects the viewer to Loth’s hand and mind, underscoring the value of skill and the intimacy of the creative act. By using these materials and techniques, Loth elevates the status of drawing, and making in general, into an art form of its own.