Two Donkeys with Baskets

This 1821 study of two donkeys with baskets was painted during Dahl's Italian travels, where pack animals were ubiquitous on rural paths and mountain roads. Such animal studies served the practical function of providing accurate visual references for incorporating animals into landscape compositions, but they also reflect the systematic observational program that Dahl pursued in Italy beyond the conventional subjects of classical antiquity and romantic scenery. The donkeys carrying baskets were a specifically Mediterranean presence — the working animals of a rural economy organized differently from the horse-centered agricultural and transport culture of northern Europe. Two donkeys rather than one allowed Dahl to study the animals' comparative posture and movement.

The donkeys are rendered with quick, observational brushwork that captures their patient stance and the weight of the baskets, demonstrating Dahl's skill as an animal painter alongside his landscape work.