En siddende, kvindlig og en stående, mandlig figur 1845

This drawing presents a seated female figure and a standing male figure, their bodies partially draped, set within a serene landscape. The female figure's hand gently resting on her chest draws our attention inward, evoking the classical Venus Pudica gesture. The positioning of the hand recalls the fear and anxiety that the subject experiences as she protects herself from outside threats. This same gesture reappears across centuries, from ancient Roman sculptures to Renaissance paintings, each time subtly shifting in meaning yet retaining its powerful emotional core. The male figure, reaching upwards toward the branches, embodies a yearning for something just beyond grasp, a theme echoed in countless myths and legends. This reaching figure—be it Adam, Prometheus, or a simple mortal—taps into a deep, collective desire for transcendence, a desire that transcends time and culture, resonating with our deepest, most primal aspirations.