En kongelig procession 1623 - 1678

Jürgen Ovens made this drawing, *En kongelig procession*, using pen and brown ink on paper. The thinness of the lines suggests a quick, economical process, almost like note-taking. Paper, as a material, invites this kind of rapid execution. The drawing likely served as a preparatory sketch or record, rather than a finished artwork in itself. Brown ink allowed for a tonal range, creating depth and volume in the figures despite the overall spareness. The subject—a royal procession—speaks to Ovens's role as a court painter. Royal patronage and expectations would have impacted his art. He was documenting power and ceremony. Yet the drawing's informality provides a glimpse into the labor behind the spectacle, the artist working to capture the scene. We see artmaking not as a purely aesthetic endeavor, but as a form of work deeply interwoven with social structures and economic forces.