Rijksmuseum

Studies of a Recumbent Polar Bear

Date

1903

Medium

paper, chalk

Institution

Rijksmuseum

Drawing living animals requires the patience of a saint. The British artist Johan Macallan Swan could wait hours for the animal to assume the desired pose. The second it did, he would dash off a quick sketch before the animal moved again. This polar bear, however, must have stayed still for some time. The artist was able to accurately study its thick coat.

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