It was about 30 odd years ago that I had a book of German
Sketches go missing. I had clipped and mounted one of the sketches, and I have
featured it on this site before, attempting to find out who drew it. I knew it
was German, but beyond that had no idea of who the artist was. This is sad, as
I did own the book before it disappeared. I should have at least remembered the
artist’s name!
This drawing has graced the walls of every home I have
lived in since 1980. Before that it hung on the walls of various staterooms
aboard the ships in which I served. It is a comforting image. It speaks to me
of something, or someone, larger than ourselves, helping to guide us through
our awkwardness. The fact that the something larger is not the elephant, gives
thought to the theory that we are not the largest presence in this dance of
life. There is something more graceful to guide us, if we only allow it.
I was napping this morning, and when I awoke, this image
was the first thing that I saw. It hangs on the wall opposite the foot of my
bed. I have googled it, in a vain attempt to find out more about the sketch
over the past several years, all to no avail. But something prompted me to
search again, and I got it on the second try.
The sketch comes from the works of German artist Heinrich
Kley, who lived from 1863-1945. His two volumes of sketches were published in
1909 and 1910, under the names
Skizzenbuch and Skizzenbuch II, both of which
contained 100 pen drawings. Now, I have to get the book.
Meantime, if you'd like a closer look at some of Mr.
Kley's work, here is the link to his world;
I had a similar experience. I couldn't remember the spelling of his name, and ended up reading about the conservative 19th century theologian Heinrich Klee. Never did a single letter make such a big difference.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny- now I will have to look up this Heinrich fellow! And to be honest, until I got this comment from you I would have still sworn that his name was Klee.
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