The artwork “Animal studies” by Hieronymus Bosch is a pen sketch that can be associated with the Northern Renaissance art movement. As a sketch and study, it showcases the artist’s interest in rendering the natural world in a detailed and observant manner. This particular piece is held in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, located in Berlin, Germany.
The sketch displays two studies of creatures, presumably birds. On the left, there is a bird in flight with its wings splayed wide and downward, allowing the viewer to observe the feather structure and the form of the bird’s body in action. The legs are drawn tucked against the body, while the head is forward, likely indicating the bird’s forward motion. To the right, there is a depiction of another bird, this one lying on the ground with its back to the viewer and its wings folded. The resting bird gives a sense of mass and volume through the careful shading and detail work on the feathers. Both studies demonstrate the artist’s skill in capturing not only the form but also the essence and behavior of the birds.
